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S6e Mysterious 
Traveler 

And His Return to the Country 
of His Boyhood 




*By Thil .Slraugh 



"Price Fifty Cents 








C. J. WATERS (Phil Straugh) 



THE 

Mysterious Traveler 



AND 



His Return to the Country 
of His Boyhood 







By 






HIMSELF 












i 


M. 


A. 


DONOHUE & COMPANY 
Publishers 

CHICAGO— 1906 



LIBRARY of CONGRESS 
Two Copies Received 

NOV 30 1906 

* Cdpyritfrt Entry , 

Oei, i, 4, 'fob 

CLASS A XXc.,Na 
COPY B, 



y*. 



Copyrtgbt, 1906 
By PHILIP A. STRAUGH. 



4 



PREFACE. 



The title and introduction of this book, I deem, 
affords sufficient design for its publication without 
apologies. 

The size of the book has been dictated by a con- 
sideration of what would be most appropriate as 
an explanation upon my return home. The history 
during boyhood, it may be noticed, I give in more 
detail ; this is done so as to present to the reader the 
surroundings and conditions under which I aban- 
doned friends and home for the life I lived. And it 
is my endeavor to select such subject matter of my 
past life that is the most novel and least common in 
other books of travel and adventure. 

Though my religious views, which I express, I 
give not because of its novelty, but as a relief of con- 
viction to myself and a duty as a citizen. It has 
been suggested to me by friends that if I could not 
endorse the orthodox doctrine to knock it out and 
be silent. I could not do this and give a true sketch 
of my history, for my religious deviations were in- 
terwoven with my actions from the time I left till I 
returned again. 

That is what is the matter with the world today — 



PREFACE 

there are too many mum and hypocritical. Way- 
faring as I may have been, there is still enough 
manhood left that prompts me to be honest in my 
convictions and to express them. It may cause me 
unpopularity and to be vilified with disreputable 
epithets and with crimes of which I am not guilty. 
But I can bear all this better than to bear the 
remorse of conscience in not expressing my con- 
victions. 

In this, and in my efforts to present the subject 
matter generally in a way that is practically useful 
and of an elevating nature morally, I hope it will 
meet the approval of those whose endeavors are in 
the same direction. 

Respectfully, 

Philip A. Straugh. 



i 



CHAPTER I. 

"Will I ever return to the country of my boy- 
hood ?" I thought after retiring on top the Would- 
be Mesa for reflection; for it was a matter that 
bore heavily on my mind for a period of time. 

The horizon was tinged with a smoky hue, and 
the weather calm and serene; such a time as nat- 
urally put one in a mood for reflection. The sun 
shone pleasantly and the air was soft and mild; 
while zephyrs moaned among the spriggy foliage 
of cedars and pinions as though to refresh my 
memory with hidden mysteries to which they were 
witness. 

"Who am I," I cried, "that I should thus be a 
wanderer upon the earth? Verily, I have not 
fallen from the planets, nor was I sprung from a 
tree or rock? No, but I was sprung from man, 
and I too have relatives. O, my God, why did I 
not return to them from hence at my first visit 
hither instead of wandering farther and farther 
away these many years ! Will I now return, or go 
to the remotest parts of the Earth and keep my 
nativity in oblivion; and Actionize my birth with 



6 THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 

wonders and prodigies? No, it will not do, I must 
be truthful ; besides, the age of superstition is pass- 
ing away. And the superstitions of the past will 
be laid bare as the sciences evolve. So, too, it is a 
duty to myself and country to return again. Be- 
sides, this will be the next strangest experience I can 
encounter, to return home amid the many changes 
which must have taken place after so long an ab- 
sence. 

"Yes, I will prepare and go to the place of my 
father's house and see the living among my people." 

But on account of my long absence and many 
adventures and pursuances, I must first write a 
sketch of my history, as without it, it would take too 
long and be too wearisome to explain. 

"I will take me up a homestead on this mesa," I 
said, "where I will write my history. Here, I can 
gaze down the canyons for less monotony; and re- 
tire to the topmost part under the shades of the 
cedars and pinons for thought while I write." 

It has now, at this writing, been twenty-seven long 
years I have wandered about, and not an iota have 
I heard from any one during my absence ; nor have 
I written to any one except sometime after leaving 
home I wrote back to my father and sister, telling 
them I was going to take to the ocean and visit 
foreign countries. From the time of writing that 
letter to this writing, I never any more went under 
my right name. So completely did I cut myself off 



THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 7 

from my connection and native country that I de- 
stroyed all letters and papers in my possession con- 
taining my right name or native address; and in 
registering at hotels or public places and in conver- 
sation, I was always from some other country than 
that of my own. 

For me now to return home to the country of 
my boyhood and among my connection, after so 
total and long an absence, will be like rising from 
the dead and going back. The old homestead 
house of my father, and the large barn and out- 
houses, I imagine, I will find torn down and re- 
modeled after later fashions, and too occupied by a 
family of people altogether strangers to me ; the re- 
maining timber lands cleared up and put into culti- 
vation; the marsh lands ditched and reclaimed; my 
native little town grown to an immense proportion 
and containing many hew and strange buildings, 
and occupied by a population of strangers. Then, 
among my connection there will be babes born since 
my departure who are now grown, and even mar- 
ried, who themselves have children, and all strangers 
to me, yet of the same blood as the blood which 
flows in my veins. And those of my connection and 
former acquaintance who still are living, I will meet 
with amazement. So, too, my former places of re- 
sort and recreation will be objects of wonderment. 

Why I left home and have lived so myster- 
iously are for a number of reasons; but the main 



8 THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 

one, of which I will here speak, is that I was in 
search of knowledge from abroad and seeking 
strange experiences. This strange thirst for knowl- 
ledge and adventure had been brewing withm me 
from my boyhood. An incident in this respect, of 
which I am well remindful, occurred when I was 
about fourteen years of age; at least it was after 
my mother died and she died when I was at the age 
of twelve. One day while I was out playfully chas- 
ing over the hills and dales, I instantly stopped and 
picked up a curious looking little stone and put it 
into my pocket, saying: "Now as soon as I return 
to the house and wherever I am, this pebble is to re- 
mind me that I must put my time in, finish reading 
those old books in the attic before school commences 
and find out all about what they tell." This was 
during school vacation when I was a boy of leisure 
and had nothing to do but chore about and do er- 
rands for my father and sister. The place I would 
do such reading and study was in a room by myself; 
for my father's house contained many rooms. The 
room was in the two story part of the building, en- 
tered from the sitting room through a long but nar- 
row hall, and to the right and opposite the parlor. 
Here, in this room on a table, I kept the book I was 
reading; and when through with it, put it away and 
got another. Many times was I in this secluded 
room by the table poring over my books when my 
people thought I was out rambling about; for they 



THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 9 

often censured me reading and studying too much, 
saying that I'll ruin my eyes, and this and that. I 
was even so assiduous in my learning during those 
times that while attending school, I generally car- 
ried on two sets of lessons, especially in reading and 
history; one that of my regular classes, and the 
other on ahead and my individual lessons. 

Letting this suffice as an introduction, I will now 
proceed with the narration in order — my parentage, 
infancy and surroundings ; school-days and kinds of 
recreation during my boyhood; going away to col- 
lege and experiences ; causes in more detail for leav- 
ing my home country and connection; becoming a 
detective and investigating the condition of knavery 
in the southwest; entering a seafaring life among 
pirates; traveling around the earth, and lecturing 
under an assumed name after returning to the 
United States ; teaching school in Texas, and doing 
detective work under an assumed name; shooting 
ability; trip to South America; returning again to 
the States, etc., etc. 

After returning to my native country, I expect 
to give an account of everything as I find it. My 
intentions are to return first secretly and look about 
and observe as a stranger, for I do not expect any 
one would recognize me any more ; and to determine 
the living and the dead among my connection by 
frequenting the grave yards and looking over the 
inscriptions on the tombstones of the different fam- 



io THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 

ilies; when, after completing this writing, make 
myself known. 

I might, too, add that for me ever to write a his- 
tory of myself had never once entered my mind — 
not in my boyhood, not during youth, in short not 
during all my wandering abroad until I came to a 
conviction that it was my duty to return again. Al- 
though, I presume, I entertained notions of writing 
on scientific subjects nearly all my life, at least from 
the time I was in college; upon which subjects I 
have already written, whereof I speak hereafter. 



THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER n 



CHAPTER II. 

I was born of good parents in the village of Fre- 
mont, County of Steuben, State of Indiana. My 
name now, at this writing is Straiho, but my origi- 
nal or right name is Straugh. Some of the con- 
nections for short spelt it Straw, yea my father 
did so himself. I heard my father say once that 
the name was differently spelt, especially among 
his more distant connection. For instance, there 
was one living two miles south of us, a distant 
relative, he said, but who spelt his name Stroh. 
Then he spoke of Straughn which differs only from 
Straugh by the n having been added. Neverthe- 
less, there were people as far back as 1381 in Eng- 
land who spelt their name simply Straw. We read 
of Jack Straw and Wat Tyler, for instance in the 
History of England, who at the head of one hun- 
dred thousand men marched against the feudal lords 
and attendants at Blackheath near London. 

My father's given name was Frederick and my 
mother's Catherine. They married when very 
young; I think my father at the age of sixteen or 
seventeen and my mother fifteen. My mother's 
maiden name was Wagoner, Catharine Wagoner. 



12 THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 

I am the youngest child of the family ; there having 
been seven children my senior, four boys and three 
girls, whose given names are respectively, beginning 
with the oldest: Elias, Annie, Elizabeth, George, 
Fred, Amanda, and Benjamin, and then myself, my 
given name having been Philip Adam. 

Considerable time elapsed between my birth and 
that of the rest so that in my boyhood all were mar- 
ried and lived abroad except my next youngest 
brother and sister, Benjamin and Amanda. Benja- 
min then shortly married and moved to Kansas, 
leaving no one at home but myself and sister, who 
was keeping house for father when I left home. 

My father emigrated with his family from Penn- 
sylvania to this place of my birth at an early date, 
when the country was considered the frontier of the 
wild west, and before I was born. He lo- 
cated southwest of the village, where he bought 
some land extending southwesterly, including 
marshy land good only for grazing purposes. 
Here one half mile from the village he erec- 
ted a large white frame house and a large 
frame barn, which at that day was a credit to the 
country. This is the house in which I was born. 
It consisted of seven rooms and a buttery, a ward- 
robe and a commissary kind of a room, besides the 
garret and a large cellar. 

Rightly, my father was what can be called a stock 
farmer. From the time I can remember, he had his 



THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 13 

herds of cattle, horses, sheep and hogs. Every year 
he raised his many bushels of different kind of 
grain and many tons of hay. Then to the northeast 
and adjacent to the yard he had his orchard of apple, 
peach and plum trees ; near the house along side the 
yard fence to the east a row of cherry trees ; to the 
northwest, running east and west, rows of currant 
and gooseberry bushes; and in front of the house, 
between the house and public road a long row of 
locust trees, which afforded beautiful and cool 
shades during the hot and sultry days of summer. 
Through this means of husbandry there was nothing 
that lacked within the threshold calculated to make 
a thriving and happy family. I can truthfully say 
that from my infancy up, during my boyhood, and 
youth until I left home, I was surrounded and at- 
tended with all the bounties of life, luxuries, and 
privileges tending to promote happiness, a boy could 
wish, a condition which I found so much to the re- 
verse after going out into the world among different 
classes of people. 

Both my parents were of German descent; and 
both were educated in the German as well as in Eng- 
lish, especially my father could read as fluently and 
cipher as rapidly in German as in English. My 
father was a tall though well proportioned man, 
rather dark complexion, blue eyes, and his weight 
was about one-hundred and seventy-five pounds. 
My mother was a blonde and of regular features and 



14 THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 

average weight about one hundred and forty-five 
pounds. When a boy, I over heard an old friend 
say that in looks and pleasing manners, when young, 
she was the belle of the country in which they lived. 
Both were of congenial and amiable disposition, es- 
pecially my mother. I many times thought if ever 
there was a christian in the world she was one. Never 
in my life did I hear a cross word from her ; though 
her word was law, and would make me mind, but al- 
ways in a pleasant and amiable way. My father 
was the same way, only sometimes when out among 
the stock, if things would go wrong, I remember 
him being a little boisterous; and one thing funny, 
he would sometimes cuss in German so those about 
would not understand, which I discovered by study- 
ing the language afterwards myself. If ever either 
of them had an enemy in the world, I never knew it ; 
nor did I ever hear them speak aught against any- 
one; could they not say anything good, they would 
say nothing. Both were strict church members, 
and my father always asked the blessing at the 
table and generally had family worship in the morn- 
ing. They belonged to what is called the Evangeli- 
cal Church. And above all things, they were a hos- 
pitable people. One thing my father never would 
do, was to turn off travelers when they stopped for 
lodging or a meal of victuals, even tramps he treated 
with royalty. I have known travelers, who were 
turned off at other places, to come for miles to stay 



THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 15 

all night with my father. And if he ever charged a 
thing for a night's lodging or a meal, I never knew 
it. One incident with reference to the treatment of 
tramps when a boy, I will never forget, which I will 
relate. 

It was a blustery, cold, midwinter night, snow on 
the ground a foot and half or two feet deep, and so 
cold that in spitting it would freeze in the air and 
roll away on the ground in a globule. Supper and 
all night's work was over with, and it was now dark. 
I and my brother Benjamin were at the table study- 
ing over lessons, and my father, mother and sister 
sitting about the fire jesting, when a footman walked 
on the porch and rapped at the door. Upon my 
father opening the door, the man said: "May I 
come in and warm, I am so very cold." 

"To be sure," said my father, "Come in." The 
man sitting by the fire a moment and rubbing his 
hands imploringly said : "There is a favor I would 
like you to do me, which you can if you will, and 
that is to let me have a blanket or two and sleep in 
your barn or at your straw-stack to-night; I met 
with misfortune and have no money. I have asked 
to stay all night for miles back long before dark and 
was refused at every place; and right around the 
turn of the road across the fields, after being refused, 
I stole out to the straw-stack, thinking I would stay 
any way, when they set the dog on me and ran me 
off." "No," says my father, "you will sleep here in 



16 THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 

the house in a bed. I would be very inhuman to let 
a fellow man sleep in a barn or straw-stack such a 
cold night as this." I do believe you never saw a 
happier man all at once than this tramp. Yes, we 
were all happy because of someone else made happy. 
Mother and sister fixed up a hot supper for him, 
after which he talked cheerfully of his hardships, the 
countries he visited and his place of destination — all, 
not only a novelty to us, but instructive. Not long 
after the disappearance of this man, the house of the 
family around the turn of the road across the fields, 
I remember, was burnt to the ground. I was too 
young to think much about it then, but after my 
experience in the world, I many times thought this 
man might have returned and done the deed to 
avenge the ill-treatment he received at their hands. 
My father had some peculiarities of which I many 
times thought, though not impropitious. He was 
always with money, and apparently very careless 
with it. Why, the man from the time I can remember 
had silver and gold coins in a pocket of nearly all 
his pantaloons hanging around on the walls in his 
room, and nearly always had it rattling in the pock- 
ets of the pants he wore. Then, in the same room, 
hanging on the wall was an old traveling satchel 
wherein he kept, as souvenirs, the largest gold coins 
and some smaller ones, also some silver. I used to 
get some down, I remember, before I knew what 
money was and play with them on the carpet, and 



THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 17 

rub and brighten those that had become tarnished. 
The bulk of his money that he did not invest in stock 
or town property he rarely ever kept in banks or out 
on interest, but kept it about the house. Once dur- 
ing the summer he had a roll of bills put away in 
the parlor stove, and one damp cool day my sister's 
sweetheart came to see her, when she made fire in 
the stove and burnt it up. I never knew him to put 
money out on interest until after he moved to town, 
which was several years after my mother died, when 
he loaned some to the Professors of the college, 
which was mostly I think as an accomodation, as 
he seemed to believe in acquiring money through 
virtue of his husbandry instead of interest, especially 
usury. 

In temperance he was exemplary, I never saw him 
drink a drop of liquor; and if he ever was drunk in 
his life, I do not know it. Even, he would not tol- 
erate eggnog in his house at no time. He said it 
was sugar-coating the Devil, and if one was obliged 
to get drunk there was more honor in taking it 
straight. I heard him say he used tobacco in his 
youth, but when he arrived at the age of puberty he 
quit it. He would generally, however, keep a bar- 
rel of sweet-cider in the cellar. He kept it sweet or 
from being intoxicating by first boiling it, then add- 
ing some chemicals. 

In his dress, though economical, he was very pre- 
cise. He always had about half a dozen pair of 



18 THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 

pants hanging about on the wall in his room at one 
time, — one special pair for going abroad on Sun- 
days, one pair for Sundays in common, one for go- 
ing to town Saturday afternoons and round about 
generally, one for about home when at leisure, and 
couple pairs for different times when at work. Then 
his shirts he wanted with lay-down collars attached, 
and subject to a change every time he went away 
during the week; his boots and shoes were never 
patched, and his hats he could never bear to be 
slouchy. 

I must not negiect my mother and sister, for they 
too deserve compliment, not in temperance or dress, 
as all women of any account are always temperate 
and tidy, but relative to house work and industry. 
Well can I remember that the floor of every un- 
carpeted room (the kitchen and buttery generally 
speaking) did they mop and scour white regularly 
twice a week and every Saturday wash off window- 
panes of the kitchen and dining room at least ; like- 
wise the door and window facings, as I have thought 
since even to an excess, as the paleness of the paint at 
those places used to become quite observant in con- 
sequence. Then every spoon, knife and fork had to 
be rubbed and scoured with sand and ashes at least 
once a week ; so too, the tinware always had to shine 
like new silver dollars. They always had one day 
of the week for washing, the day following a change 
of clothes on Sunday, and that was Monday regard- 



THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 19 

less of the weather. The meals were always served 
as regularly each day as the clock rolled off the 
hours of time. And if ever the dishes were left 
standing unwashed from one meal to another, I 
never noticed it. Then in cookery they were artistic 
and diversifying, not having the same thing over 
and over again each meal. Yes, many times have 
I missed the blessings of my father's table, and the 
happiness of his home. 

My people, especially the women, never had any 
assistance in their work by servants or inferiors, but 
did it all themselves. And my father never had 
any tenants about him ; but to the extent he and his 
boys were inadequate, he had his daily laborers and 
hired hands. In this, however, they were not like 
Aristarchus and his household, whom exhorted by 
Socrates, "brought to it by dire compulsion and 
poverty ;" but it was their choice and their pleasure ; 
it was innate with them, having a disposition not 
to want the family society contaminated with the 
ignorance and irrelevancy of inferiors. Neverthe- 
less, they were always ready to lend a helping hand 
to elevate fallen humanity. 

Several years before my mother died, reading, she 
said, gave her a dizzy feeling; so she had me read 
for her, generally from the bible. I remember one 
time I yas reading, she said that when I am grown 
I can say that I read the bible to my mother when T 
was a little boy. It seems her selections were gen- 



20 THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 

erally something on temperance. The greatest im- 
pression on my mind with reference to temperance, 
however, she made in a different way. 

"See yonder man staggering along the wayside' ' ! 
she said to me one day when we were out in the 
country, "he is drunk, another name for crazy! 
See! how he stares and glares, and how senseless 
he talks. He is crazy, made so by his own hand, 
by drinking rum, that detestable suicidal weapon/' 
'This is something you must never do my boy, 
drink rum," she continued as we went on, "it is only 
a low and thoughtless class that do so, for it matters 
not how one's mind becomes deranged and makes 
one crazy, whether by drinking rum or through 
other injuries that may be inflicted on one's self, 
that one is crazy is enough." "One can drink just 
a little rum and it won't hurt him," she said, "but if 
you keep on drinking a little, and a little, and a little, 
in the course of time you get so you crave it either 
for the taste or the effect, then you can't help drink- 
ing too much of it, when it will derange your mind 
and make you drunk. So if my boy don't want 
to become a drunkard and take crazy spells, he 
must never commence drinking it. And remem- 
ber if you do, it is yourself that you are hurting, it 
is you that will be a drunkard, it is you that will be 
a crazy man and a wretch. And besides, if ever 
you will do so, remember, it is because you are 



THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 21 

thoughtless and mark a degree accordingly low in 
the scale of human life." 

In like manner, she taught me the evils of using 
tobacco. "It is no good," she would tell me; "it 
don't serve as food, don't satisfy thirst or hunger, 
don't better the health nor improve the looks; but 
it poisons the system, stenches the breath, breeds 
disease, and is a constant expense to those who use 
it." 

The training seems to have had the desired effect, 
at least I never have been addicted to either evils. 
And I can truthfully say, I do believe that all liquor 
I ever drank during life up to this writing, inclusive 
of medical purposes, would not amount to a single 
quart. While with outlaws my argument against 
it was, "it will not do to risk ; one under its influence 
cannot be depended on." 

After attaining a knowledge of the arts and 
sciences, however, I became convinced that these 
habits, the constant intrusion into the system of 
poisons, was contrary to the laws of health ; and that 
it was only a matter of time till the evil effects were 
manifested in some form, which gave me more rea- 
son for abstaining. Yes, I became convinced that 
any form of intemperance or violation of the laws of 
health deranges the system, impairs the forces neces- 
sary to existence, and brings on certain forms of 
diseases or physical and mental weakness ; and in the 



22 THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 

ends, shortens life accordingly. As I expressed it 
to myself: "Intemperance is nothing more or less 
than a slow process of suicide." The question might 
be asked, why then do so many smart men know- 
ingly indulge and some just to be popular? I could 
answer this no better than by asking, why do so 
many smart men commit outright suicide? Owing 
to my observance of hygenic laws, I can say, unless 
in consequence of unnatural causes, that when I ar- 
rive at the age of fifty I expect to be of the same 
physical and mental ability as a man of these habits 
at the age of thirty; and when at the age of seventy, 
about that of a man of these habits at the age of 
fifty. 

Her training, too, appears to have been of a na- 
ture that caused me always to respect her and en- 
deavor to help her and do her acts of kindness. I 
can honestly say that I do believe I never left the 
yard, either to go to school or elsewhere, but what 
I did not first say: "Mother, isn't there something 
I can do before I go ?" I also feel proud that I can 
say I was in like manner good to my sister after my 
mother died; and too, that my sister was like a 
mother to me afterwards. 

Having spoken of the good discipline of my 
mother at home, it would not be treating the subject 
fairly unless I should too speak of a particular in 
which I many times thought she was not so correct. 
It was in the game of cards. Before I knew what 



THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 23 

cards were for, a boy at school gave me one for a 
thumb-card, and I thought it was the prettiest card 
I ever saw. I had it in my book after returning ; up- 
on my mother seeing it, she took it and threw it 
into the fire, saying it belongs to the devil. This 
always thereafter appeared curious to me till I got 
out into the world and investigated it for myself 
and learned how to play. 

I think the evil of any thing should be explained 
to a child, and never be too much to the extreme in 
such things. 

I might, too, add that it was ever my disposition 
and endeavor to make those around me happy if I 
could. 

"Come here, I'll buy your paper !" I once said to 
a ragged and dirty faced little girl as she was call- 
ing aloud on the streets, "New York Ledger! a 
penny a piece !" 

"How many have you?" I said, confronting her. 

"Seventeen/' she replied, counting them out. 

Giving her a quarter, I took the entire package, 
saying this pays for them all, does it not? and 
started to go. 

She looked so bewildered that I gave them all 
back to her except one, saying, "take them, keep the 
money, and go sell them again !" 



24 THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 



CHAPTER III. 
It was at the age of six, in the time of summer, 
when my school days began. Instead of going to 
our village school in the corporation of which we 
lived, I went with my brother Benjamin to Stroh's 
school house, two miles south of us. The reason of 
this, I think, was due to a novelty "of my brother 
and a vacation in our own district at this time of the 
year ; the school in our district having been divided 
into three terms, fall, winter and spring terms of 
three months each. This school at Stroh's school- 
house was held during that part of summer when the 
wild mayapple, the huckleberry, and the straw and 
dewberries were ripening , along our pathway, and 
the landscape covered with blooms and wild flowers 
— all presenting a panorama and affording a con- 
dition, inviting and exhilarating. It was also that 
part of the year when the best season for angling in 
the creeks and lakes had set in, whose waters teemed 
with different kinds of fish, such as pickerel, black- 
bass, roach or calico bass, perch, sunfish and bull- 
heads. In these streams and lakes along our way, we 
had the privilege of stopping sometimes after school 
in the afternoon and fish; there having been a lake 



THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 25 

on each side of the road, and a creek to cross which 
ran through our land. My first school days, thus, 
attended with these digressions and objects of at- 
traction and amusement, were ushered in with con- 
tentment. 

After this summer school, I aiways attended our 
town school until I finished the course. Here my 
school days passed away very pleasantly, except one 
term while yet quite small; and, I think the first 
school I attended by myself. The reason was in 
consequence of wrangles and combats among the 
boys I did not like, ensuing from sheer carelessness 
of the teachers. The teachers during this school 
would all go quite a distance to their dinners at the 
same time, leaving us children (about one hundred 
and fifty pupils) all by ourselves, even a pupil ap- 
pointed to ring the first bell, thus many times left 
by ourselves till only a minute or two before school- 
call. The teachers were no more than going out of 
sight till the larger boys had a couple of guards sta- 
tioned on the outside to watch for their approach, 
when they would proceed with their misdemeanors. 
The school house at this time was a two story frame 
building with a large room and a closet intended 
for dinner buckets and clothing, above and below. 
In these closets, is where the boys, with a guard at 
the window at the outside and one at the door open- 
ing into the large room, would perform. They 
would nearly invariably use the lower closet; for a 



26 THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 

reason, as I think now, to be better able to keep it 
secluded from the young ladies and others of the 
higher grades attending above, who might have dis- 
closed it had they gotten on to the racket. That 
which I despised greatest was fighting us little 
chaps against each other, generally those who 
were noticed to have some previous altercations or 
grudges. I remember once I was pitted against 
one of three brothers, about the same size, who I 
knocked out of the ring ; then they put two of them 
against me and I knocked both out; and then they, 
put all three against me and I done them all up. At 
least this is what the boys said, I remember, and 
laughed about it. Teachers and trustees or direc- 
tors should always know that it is never for the best 
to let so many children by themselves in this way. 
A number of times during this school I cried, not 
wanting to go to school, but crying, and toothache 
and not feeling well (in my mind) did no good — to 
school I had to go. And strange as it is, I never 
gave any reason for not wanting to go, never gave 
the boys away ; I must have thought it as a part of 
the performance belonging to school, using Dave 
Wills's expression. 

I had Mr. Wills employed in Texas to assist me 
in breaking a span of mustangs for a buggy team ; 
and wanted them used to shooting so I could shoot 
from the buggy with safety, I took along a double 
barrel shotgun with a good supply of cartridges, to 



THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 27 

shoot one occasionally from the wagon to which we 
drove them first a number of times. When he saw 
what I was up to, he said: "That is right, shoot 
along behind as we break them and they will think 
it is a part of the performance." 

Sq with me in going to school, I must have 
thought everything occuring at school belonged 
there and was a part of the performance. I have 
a number of times thought since if pupils would 
tattle less to their parents and friends, which I ha\e 
found the case in many schools, and have their minds 
more on their books, they would learn faster; and 
if parents would pay less attention to the like of 
this, we would have better schools. If ever I told 
the truth in my life, I tell it when I say that I never 
told anything against a pupil or teacher occurring at 
school to my parents nor to any one, that I can re- 
call, no matter how badly I thought I was treated. 

The last teacher I went to at our home school was 
Prof. Smith (Ed. Smith). He taught one term, I 
think, in the old frame building, when a brick college 
was erected, where I finished my course under him 
as principal and Prof. Shambaugh as first assistant. 

During the summer before the fall term in the 
new building Prof. Smith went to Carlisle, Indiana, 
to help conduct a normal school of two months. In 
a conversation one day, relative to school affairs, 
before knowing of him going abroad to render 
services in a school, I said if I knew of 



28 THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 

any school during the summer I would at- 
tend it. So after knowing he was going to 
Carlisle, he entreated me to go with him, 
saying I could carry on my course under him 
there just the same as though I was attending at 
home, and thus be that much ahead. My father 
sanctioned it and of course I went. Prof. Smith 
lived at Angola, eight miles south of our village, 
where he said for me to come to on a certain train 
and he would get aboard and join me, which he did. 
I will never forget the greeting he gave me when he 
confronted me on the train and the kind and tutelary 
treatment generally during our sojournment. Be- 
fore leaving home father gave me a little roll of 
bills saying: "This will be amply sufficient to pay 
your board bill and all other expenses." After ar- 
riving at Carlisle I took up board at the same place 
as did the Professor. I then reckoned closely what 
the amount of my board and railway fare back home 
would be, which money I put away by itself. With 
the rest, I bought a new suit of clothes and other nec- 
essaries. After the school ended, Prof. Smith had 
other business which detained him a few days where- 
upon I took the train by myself and returned home. 
This was the first time I had ever been this far away 
from home and settled my own bills. 

The fall term of school at home shortly opened 
in the new college building, when I was again at 
hand and attended. 



THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 29 

For some reason my teachers regarded me as a 
pupil in whom they could put great dependence, 
especially Prof. Smith. After returning from 
Carlisle, if there was anything in tact in which a 
pupil was to figure, it seems it was intrusted to me. 

"Meet me in room four by yourself after school 
and after the other pupils have left," I remember 
he said to me once, catching me by myself so no 
one else could hear. After school, I loitered about, 
pretending to be looking for lost books, till rooms 
and halls were clear of pupils, when I entered room 
four, where we had a secret consultation. 

"I will do it if you think I am equal to the 
emergency," I said. 

"I will have an outline of the plan in the last 
desk of this room under a book by next Monday 
at noon, lock the doors again, and leave the keys 
under a block under the steps on the south side," 
he continued. 

Monday was the day of the week set apart in- 
stead of Saturday, so common in the south, when 
there is no school. 

On Monday morning, as I was standing by some 
of my schoolmates, and as he passed us returning 
from the postoffice with his mail, he addressed me 
by name, saying, "Those eggs will be cooked now 
directly." 

"All right," I said, 'Til be there on time." 

One of the schoolmates, standing by, I remem- 



30 THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 

ber, looked up and said, "What, you cooking eggs !" 
I will only say that this was a plan relative to 
the scholastic and commercial interest of the town 
to be put ablaze by other parties than the teachers. 
He assuredly understood the human nature of his 
pupils, for not to this day have I ever divulged it to 
any one, only what I say now, which I consider 
no betrayal of confidence after these many years 
and when no damage can any more ensue. How- 
ever, I was never queried by any teacher, that I 
remember, relative to a pupil's deportment or mis- 
conduct; and too, this would have been the last 
thing I would have thought of telling, to which 
I once alluded. 

During the latter part of my course, I think 
the last two terms, Prof. Smith had me teach a 
quarter of a day every morning — a geometry class, 
an algebra class and a higher arithmetic class — 
which I found a great help as a review and some 
experience in teaching. I never taught an indepen- 
dent school till after finishing my course, when I 
went over into the state of Michigan, took the ex- 
amination, received my certificate, and taught the 
public school at a place called Gilead. I met with 
remarkable success for the experience that I had, 
considering the large school and the many differ- 
ent grades. I have many times thought since, how- 
ever, that a beginner should always commence with 
a small school first, thereby making it more pleasant 



THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 31 

and a reputation as teacher less fallible. After 
this, I never taught school any more for a num- 
ber of years and then in Texas. 

Sometime during my school days in our village 
school, I dreamt three different dreams which were 
so impressive that I could never forget; so that as 
my following history, which I thoughtlessly made, 
reminded me of them, I will relate them. Besides, 
I give them since they have been a mystery to me 
from a philosophical standpoint, inasmuch that 
there seems to be a connection between the present 
and future existence of man which causes one to 
dream in this way, as though the brewing of fu- 
ture events were transmitting impressions on the 
brain something similar to the transmissions of in- 
telligence through a wireless telegraphy. 

In the first dream, I saw in the heavens a table 
pushed aside with the legs making a great sono- 
rous and vibratory noise, such as is made by a 
table when pulled along on the bare floor in a 
room, only much louder and more impressive, when 
a pen-holder rolled off and jingled away with a 
similar high-sounding noise, such as made by a pen- 
holder when thrown off a table on the floor. 

In the next dream, I saw passing by, above me 
in the heavens, a large open belfry and within a 
huge bell suspended, ringing loudly and vehement- 
ly as it went. These specters were so apparent and 
so impressive as though they had actually happened, 



V THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 

and as though they had happened but yesterday. 

In the third, I dreamt that while I was driving 
the cows home from pasture as usual through the 
timber, having my gun with me, I got after a fox- 
squirrel running along on the ground, and after a 
wearied chase and a number of shots, I killed it; 
when upon approaching, I was horrified to find it 
was a red-headed man I had killed. Waking up and 
finding it was only a dream, I was so glad that I 
could not sleep any more the remainder of the night. 
After that, I could never pass that place along side 
the road in the woods but what I thought about the 
dream. 



THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 33 



CHAPTER IV. 

The kinds of recreation during my school days, 
were varied; fishing, hunting and shooting, of 
which, were my favorites. To these diversions, I 
devoted a reasonable part of my time during vaca- 
tions, and on Mondays during the school terms, as 
my father did not require me to work but very lit- 
tle unless it was my fancy to do so. The form of 
fishing I enjoyed best, in the spring and summer, 
was spearing at night, setting hooks in the day time, 
and sometimes trolling. "Spearing fish at night" 
was very fatiguing on account of losing sleep and 
laborious work; but it was exciting, which I used 
to enjoy very much. Several of the boys I used 
to hear remark, after being up all night and on our 
way home next day after sun-up, "Oh, this is going 
to be my last trip, I feel too sleepy and miserably 
bad!" And I would think so myself sometimes; 
but after we would return, catch up with sleep and 
1 rest, in a short time we were ready to try it again. 
There is no mistake that this was "the way" in 
those days and places to get the fish. I remember 
having so many fish in the bed of the boat at the 
break of day that I would be standing in them 
nearly to the top of my rubber boots, and so heavy 



34 THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 

that the oarsmen would have to be cautious in 
keeping the boat from dipping water. Our equip- 
ment, generally, consisted of two oarsmen in the 
rear, and two in front spearing, having a large 
lamp with a reflector adjusted on a staff before 
them; though, I sometimes thought I enjoyed 
spearing by myself best, in this way have plenty of 
room and hurl the spear artistically, right and left. 
It seems, I had gotten to be such an expert that I 
could throw my spear ten to fifteen feet just ahead 
of a fish swimming and get him. One reason I was 
good early in using the spear, my brother Benja- 
min and I, in our plays, when I was a little tot 
used to haul each other about in a cart and throw an 
old gig we had at sticks as though they were fish, 
as we were pulled along standing up. Some of the 
fish, such as the pickerel and black bass, would in- 
variably be swimming their utmost; and being 
blinded by the light, they were as likely to strike 
toward the boat as any way. Fish like the cat 
fish and sunfish generally laid quietly in the water, 
and were no more to spear than sticks of wood. The 
size light we had may be inferred by us using from 
five to eight gallons of coal oil a night. The lakes 
we generally frequented to do our night spearing 
were, Lake George, Lake James and Silver Lake. 

"To set our hooks," we generally went to Marsh 
Lake, about three or four miles from our place. In 
this, we would cut as many poles, fifteen to twenty 



THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 35 

feet long, as we had lines and could tend well, gen- 
erally twenty-five and thirty. These poles we would 
stick securely in the mud leaning away from the 
shore towards deep water, with a fish line tied to 
the end. For bait we used live minnows and some- 
times frogs. We generally used corks on our lines ; 
thus, with the poles stuck slanting the minnows 
would keep swimming about in the water. Pickerel 
and black bass were what we would fish for in this 
way. 

"Trolling for fish" consisted of one with oars in 
the middle of the boat rowing the boat, and an- 
other one sitting in the rear end pulling a line about 
a hundred yards long with a spoon and hooks at the 
end, back and forth in the water. Fish, in seeing 
this colored spoon whirling about the hooks and go- 
ing along through the water, would take it to be 
an insect of some kind, and jumping at it, get caught 
on the hooks. To get a large fish on a line of this 
kind and land him into the boat would be fine sport. 

My favorite way fishing in the winter was cut- 
ting holes through the ice and setting hooks. In 
this way of fishing, we would cut as many holes 
i through the ice at reasonable distances along the 
shore as we had lines for and could tend, generally 
fifty and sixty ; having the holes a little oblong and 
just large enough to pull a big fish through. Cut- 
i ting these holes, at times, we found very laborious, 
and well paid for our fun ; the ice being a foot and 



36 THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 

a half and two feet thick. For each hole we woulc 
have a narrow plank half as wide as your hand 
and about two feet long with a hole bored in near 
one end, through which a round stick would be put 
to rest on the ice on each side of the hole, thus 
forming a bobber. The line was tied to the end 
of the plank nearest the hole and dropped through 
the hole in the ice into the water. A fish in pulling 
on the line, in this way, would pull one end of the 
plank down and the other long end bob up and os- 
cillate in the air, which could be seen at some dis- 
tance. We generally carried with us red or black 
tape and tie on the end so it could be seen further 
and better. For bait we used the live minnow, 
and the kind of fish mostly caught were the pickerel 
and black bass. In doing this kind of fishing, we 
generally selected a time when there was no snow 
on the ice and good skating. Thus, we would be 
skating about on a side at our leisure watching for 
a bobber to fly up, when we would have a race, skat- 
ing to it to land the fish, which was not only good 
exercise but quite exciting and amusing. 

We experimented at different times in different 
ways to these modes of fishing, but generally with- 
out success. The water and grounds were too un- 
favorable to use the net successfully. 

Hunting and shooting in like manner was quite 
common in those days. The forests teemed with 
squirrels, wild turkeys were numerous, there were 



THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 37 

plenty of wild ducks and geese, and quails and prai- 
rie chickens abounded. In consequence, markman- 
ship was an esteemed art, to which I took early in 
my boyhood. One reason for this, while very 
young my brothers bought me a little No. 16 gauge 
shotgun as a present. It was very small so I could 
handle it with ease, and such that takes the eye of 
a boy. This was so early in my boyhood yet that in 
loading it I did not know which went in first, shot or 
powder; so that my mother and sister would load 
it still and privilege me to go out and shoot at some- 
thing. About the first thing I ever killed was a 
prairie chicken in this way. I remember, it was 
back of the house on the other side of a patch of 
hazel brush in tall grass where I spied them, when 
i I crawled up within a little distance and shot one. 
The way they did, they must have taken me for 
some kind of vermin crawling through the grass. 
Although I was privileged to shoot the gun so early 
in life, I never was allowed till late in years to go 
1 out with a gun with other boys ; nor did it infatuate 
me so as to cause me to neglect my books or my 
I chores. It seems I cared only to use the privilege 
\ as a means of exercise or recreation when I needed 
it. After I was able to shoot the shotgun with ease 
and efficiency, I remember, I traded it off, and 
\ bought a little rifle shooting a number one buck- 
' shot. By repeated practice with this rifle, later in 
years I became an actual expert. To shoot a squir- 



38 THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 

rel any place but the head was repugnant and a 
stigma on markmanship. Before I ever thought 
of being superior in markmanship to persons gen- 
erally, there was some stranger, who had seen me 
shoot, that asked my mother if I could ride out in 
the country with him, when he had me put my rifle 
in the buggy. He never told me what he was up 
to, but in the early part of the day we drove up, 
to a squad of men with guns. It was a shooting 
match. As we drove up, he said to them : "I and 
the boy can beat any two in the crowd !" His chal- 
lenge was accepted and the targets for each were 
made. Their agreement was that the two whose 
sum of the distances from the center of the target 
to the point of hitting was least are the ones who 
beat. They shot first, and we last. 

"Now shoot just as you did at those pigeon's 
heads," said my pardner, when the report of my 
rifle rang out. Then he shot, when it was seen 
that we beat without measuring. We all shot off- 
hand. Upon our return home, he laughingly said 
that his dependence was on me, that he was no shot. 

It was about this time of my age when I and my 
brother Benjamin, one day were out in the orchard 
practicing shooting the rifle at still targets, when 
it so happened that as he was about to shoot, a hawk 
came sailing by us over our heads, and instead of 
shooting at the target he wheeled and shot at the 
hawk. At the crack of the gun, down fell the hawk 



THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 39 

nearly at our feet, hitting him a dead shot. After 
this, encouraged by the feat, we did nearly all our 
practice at flying targets. The first, we commenced 
by shooting at tin cans and bottles pitched in the air ; 
then we got to carrying small cart wheels out on 
a hill, and one roll them down and bring them back 
while the other shot and loaded alternately. 

We also, I remember, frequented fields of pump- 
kins and rolled round ones down the hill and prac- 
ticed shooting at them as they went ; but to hit these, 
shooting from the rear, we found an easy task. 
We continued this form of shooting, and at game 
running and flying as well, until my brother began 
entering the state of puberty, when he was gradual- 
ly attracted from this form of diversion to a de- 
votion of his leisure hours to his Sweethearts, and 
married. Neverthless, I not only kept up the prac- 
tice while yet at home; but after leaving home and 
changing my name, I went to drilling right. Even, 
I many times thought that to shoot a shot was no 
more to me in my practice for markmenship, than 
a thump on a key of a piano is to a person to be- 
come a good pianist; so extensively did I shoot 
and practice after leaving home. 

The first fine sport I had shooting the wild deer 
was in northern Michigan while yet at home, hav- 
ing gone on a week's trip with a party from Ann 
Arbor. I used a 44 Cal. Evans Repeating Rifle, 
repeated twenty-six times, After taking my stand, 



40 ^HE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 

I would commence shooting when a deer first came 
in sight through the under-brush and empty the 
magazine or get him. Many times in shooting, 
the barrel of my rifle became so hot I could not bear 
my hand on it for a time. In killing the deer, I 
had the best luck in aiming as near as I could for 
the end of the nose, when the bullet would hit them 
in the vicinity of the heart. 

One thing of which I will here speak is a dispo- 
sition I had never to be boasting; no matter how 
expert or dexterous a person might be in whatever 
accomplishment, it was always repugnant to me. 
I always liked to let the work show up for itself 
and let some one else do the telling. 

I also have had some experience in the art of 
trapping with steel traps in my boyhood. I remem- 
ber tending traps one fall up and down Eaton's creek 
and around Farnham's lake, trapping for muskrats, 
mink and otter, though other animals would some- 
times get in the traps such as the raccoon and weasel. 

It is in order, also, to give other experiences, 
which I will relate in another chapter ; such as relat- 
ing to superstition, sociability and courtship, narrow 
escapes, etc. 



THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 41 



CHAPTER V. 

"There! that's a light in the graveyard/' I said to 
myself as I took several strides skating down the 
pond on the west side the road, looking at it atten- 
tively. "Yes, I can't be mistaken for there it is," I 
continued after turning and gazing at it again. 

It was during my school days when Saturday 
nights we boys would gather on a pond of ice on the 
west side of the road, opposite the graveyard and 
midway between the village and depot ; and at a time 
I happened to be the first one to appear. Without 
loss of time, I took off my skates and started up the 
road towards the village, to meet the boys, never 
looking back. Before reaching the village I heard 
the clamor of a crowd of boys approaching. 

'Til not tell them," I thought, "but let them first 
see it for themselves," falling in line in the rear go- 
ing back. Approaching the graveyard, I noticed a 
light on my left and on the other side, and as we 
went on, the light kept moving to my right till I 
saw without a doubt that it was the same light that I 
mistook to be in the graveyard, having been over the 
graveyard but beyond." "Well, I wonder if all the 
hobgoblins and haunts, people talk of so much come 
about in this way?" I thought. Is it all a myth — all 



42 THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 

an apparition caused through misapplying natural 
consequences by scary and excitable people?" 

Ever after this, when anything made is appear- 
ance in the nature of haunts and hobgoblins, I 
searched into the cause, until I became convinced 
that it was always traceable to natural consequences, 
and that preternatural appearances were unreal. A 
believing in the existence of haunts and goblins, or 
preternatural existence, of anything, I know as 
superstition. 

Shortly after this, one moonlight night upon re- 
turning home, I passed through the dark hall lead- 
ing to my room, and opened the door. To my 
amazement there was a light on the opposite side of 
the room on the wall. 

"What does this mean?" I thought. The more 
I looked at it the larger it got. 

Til not be outdone by no such a thing," I 
thought, and advanced towards it. As I was advanc- 
ing, it got as large as a wagon wheel ; when, finally, 
I stood before it face to face, I saw the paper window 
blind was down and that it was merely the moon 
shining through a jagged hole that had been punched 
through it during the day. 

After this again one night, I was riding fast in a 
DUggy over a smooth road leading through a timber 
with a clearing, when at once an upright pillar of 
fire dashed into appearance on my right and moved 
on at considerable speed. I gazed at it a moment 



THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 43 

till its appearance looked formidable; when I said, 
'Til stop and follow you up and see what it means." 
As I stopped it stopped, when I saw it was a broken 
off tree or high stump in a coal of fire from top to 
bottom. 

In Texas, one night while sleeping by myself in a 
house which was recognized far and near as a 
"haunted house," I fortunately woke up at a late 
hour to hear a remarkable rumpus up in the garret. 
The house was old, and the walls of such construc- 
tion as to admit the entrance of rats from the base- 
ment into the garret above. These rats were mak- 
ing the alarming racket. Then too, several large 
shade trees grown up by the house had limbs extend- 
ing out on the roof; and when the wind blew, they 
would rub on the shingles and the dolesome noise 
add to the disturbance. "Were I of a superstitious 
nature," I thought as I lay awake, "and unable to 
conceive the cause, I would get scared myself and 
think the house was haunted sure enough." But 
like rain pattering on the shingles of a roof, it had 
the effect of serenading me back to sleep. 

So averse to the idea of the existence of haunts 
and goblins had I become that instead of observing 
darkness as the shelter of such things, I regarded it 
as a refuge for safety and repose. Even in grave- 
yards, I could now sleep in the darkness, cowboy 
style with my blankets on the high grass, as uncon- 
cernedly as I used to on a feather bed in the upper 



44 THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 

story of my father's house with the doors closed. 

Referring to graveyards, however, experience has 
revealed the fact that sometimes they are infested by 
graverobbers, who want the skeletons and the 
bodies for dissecting purposes, especially those of 
paupers and criminals, which is enough to make an 
innocent beholder a believer in goblins if the least 
inclined to be superstitious; and is the way that 
many stories have arisen about such things which 
are reported to have been seen in graveyards. 

SOCIABILITY AND COURTSHIP. 

"Will we take girls with us?" I said after an 
agreement on a piscatorial expedition to Lake James 
for a week. It was Ralph Follette I addressed. 

"No," he said firmly, "fishing and courting don't 
go together, one of them at a time." 

This proved a wonderful lesson to me. While I 
asked this and was willing to abide by his decision, 
still I was not in favor of it myself. The reason, 
really, I asked it was because I noticed that he was 
ever publicly very sociable with the fairer sex, and 
that to do so might be his pleasure. Noticeably, did 
I ever see him coming to church or lectures at night 
with some damsel swung on his arm. This is right ; 
this is courtesy. But it was not my fortune to make 
this my custom. From the beginning my mind 
virtually was imbued with ingenuity and restless- 



THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 45 

ness, and rather lacked sufficient time for study I 
desired ; so that my courting was at my convenience 
and without much loss of time. And a part of my 
time was put in listening to men of experience talk. 
For instance there was Mr. Havens, the postmaster, 
and his friend Mr. Heath, who were looked upon as 
men of skepticism, but who were far ahead of their 
time, to whose conversations I many times stopped 
and listened, while boys and girls of my sphere were 
on the romp. I reluctantly say that in those times, 
outside of relatives, I never accompanied a girl to 
any public gathering, save in a buggy several times 
at a distance, as to Angola, and this for reasons 
peculiar to myself. 

"Yes. fishing and courting don't go together," I 
many times have found since ; for love is subversive 
to success in the former, and tends to transgressions 
during the time in the latter. Yea, a love, the sweet- 
est of all sweet things of which one can think, is too 
enticing ; wooers must keep in their spheres. 

Nevertheless this again depends I find on the train- 
ing of children, their surroundings, and the customs 
of the people, which differ greatly in different coun- 
tries. In the Northeast, in my growing up, courting 
was carried on among the youngsters with but little 
restriction. The young man would call on his 
sweetheart probably in the afternoon and have a 
general talk with the family till supper time; after 
which they would retire to the parlor and enter- 



46 THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 

tain one another by themselves till midnight, and 
many times until two and three o'clock in the morn- 
ing acording to their fancy. Then in parties, in 
a game called "snap and catch 'em," the young man 
after catching the girl was entitled to a kiss, which 
was administered as unconcernedly as any part of 
play. But when I entered the southwest, as in Tex- 
as, I found all this different. A young man courting 
a girl at night, in case he did not leave at the 
proper time, could hear called out by one of the 
parents, addressing the girl, "Its bed timer And 
then, in case his departure was attended with impu- 
dence, it is more than probable that it would be the 
last invitation extended him by the girl. And in 
parties, in the same game, "snap and catch 'em," 
would a young man, after catching the girl attempt 
to kiss her, it is more than likely she would knock 
him in the face for his incivility, and probably her 
friends would resent the act as an outrage. 

At first I could not account for this difference 
in customs; but after more experience I could see 
some reasons for it. Young men in the northeast 
were but little on the move and changing about, 
and their surroundings forced them to abide by the 
consequences of their deportment, so they were 
more regardful and civil, thus establishing confi- 
dence in the minds of parents, and drifted into a 
custom of leniency; while in the southwest the 
young men, to a great extent, were a reckless class 



THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 47 

of cow-boys who were ever ready to bury them- 
selves from civilization in some other part of the 
hospitable west, thus putting parents on their 
guard, and causing them to drift into a custom of 
greater stringency. 

But whatever the established custom relative here- 
to, I have found that a young man invariably strives 
to make his final selection from the girls who remain 
within the sphere of modesty and those of exem- 
plary character. In this training I became convinced 
mothers cannot be too heedful. 

"That girl has a mother," once said a roysterer to 
me after a round. "I thought so after the first dash 
of my eyes ; and found it just that way afterwards," 
he continued. 

Even such as improper pictures on the wall, I 
have known to leave, not only its bearing ; but serve 
as instruments for such roysterers to begin allure- 
ment. And it is not always the boisterous ones 
to be feared, but many times to the contrary. It 
makes me think of the following poetry : 

The boisterous cat in its frolicsome way, 

Causes birds to be on guard, 
And put them all to flight. 
But one silent, with alluring way, 

Overtaking them unawares, 
Has one in its toils before its aware. 



48 THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 

NARROW ESCAPES. 

Narrow escapes seem to have been my fortune 
from the first. 

"I cringed with fear for your life as I saw you 
scrambling," said my partner to me as we were 
again flying in the sharp breeze on top a flat car. 
"Why do you take such risk?" 

We were both on our way home from school ; and, 
royster like, wanting to save spending money, and 
glorying in an out-door recreation, we took this 
way of passage, a way tolerated in those times by 
the railroad boys to students. It was late in the 
faH of the year and the surface of things generally 
frosty, though the kind of weather comfortable for 
youngsters in the open air by romping about enough 
to keep warm. In changing cars, we did so while 
on the move. I ran forward to the moving train, 
made a leap, but owing to the frost my hold slipped 
and my legs shot under the car, fortunately hitting a 
wheel which sent me back on the ground in safety. 
Had I happened to have come to the car at another 
place my legs would have shot between the wheels 
and I would have been cut in two and killed. Of 
course, this was a lesson so impressive that after 
this I was ever cautious. 

Before this, when quite small, I was out riding a 
frisky steed we called "Doll." As usual, I led the 
horse to the entrance of the barn to the first stall, 
slipped off the bridle to let her run back behind the 



THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 49 

other horses to her place, about the fifth stall ; but I 
left the rein over her neck and at the same time a 
half hitch was made around my foot as the horse 
started back. As I was being dragged back and 
dangling about the heels of the other horses, they all 
commenced kicking; and when I became conscious 
again, I found myself kicked through the board 
wall in the rear out into the wagon shed. If there 
was a hole in the wall beforehand through which I 
might have crawled during the commotion, I never 
knew it. 

In like manner, later on, I had narrow escapes in 
terrible runaways ; narrow escapes in being knocked 
down once by lightning; two narrow escapes in 
sickness, when, at the critical time, as it was, I calmly 
waited to see which way the ebb of life was falling, 
whether on "the other side of the river" or continue 
existence in this world ; narrow escapes from whist- 
ling bullets ; narrow escapes from gun-shot wounds 
and narrow escapes from wild and domestic ani- 
mals — all too numerous to mention here in detail. 



50 THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 



CHAPTER VI. 

After finishing my course at school in my native 
town to take a course in some noted college was next 
on my mind, Oxford, England, was my choice, 
would I have had the means to have coped as an 
aristocrat. I thereupon visited the schools at Hills- 
dale, Valparaiso, and the Evangelical schools at 
Naperville, but never felt satisfied to enter any of 
them. I then went to Grandview, Iowa, and visited 
a few days with my uncle Philip Wagoner; thence 
to Kansas, to see my Brother Benjamin. Shortly 
after this, returning home, I went to Ann Arbor, 
Michigan, the university of the state, and entered 
under an assumed name. Why I did this, I can 
hardly tell. This was the second time I went under 
an assumed name. The first time I went under an 
assumed name was in acting as an agent for a wash- 
ing machine. My people having bought one, and 
favorably impressed with it, I thought they would 
be a ready sale and money in selling them. So, 
knowing headquarters at the time was Auburn, I 
took the train and went down to try my hand, as- 
suming the name Phillips. The only way I can 
account for taking an assumed name here, was that 



THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 51 

I thought myself above such a following and did not 
want it known among my friends and connection. 
I find now this was one of my failings I had in my 
youth; one should not be ashamed of any pursuit 
which is honorable and serviceable to man. Then 
again, from the fact that I was, ever, from the be- 
ginning, seeking strange experiences, it seems I 
had uncontrollable instinct towards wanting to gen- 
eralize against mishaps which might be a reflection 
on my fair name and my people. This is the only 
way I can account for entering college under an as- 
sumed name at Ann Arbor. 

Some might think that I was misled by reading 
trashy literature, but far from it. I can truthfully 
say that up to that time, I do not think that I ever 
read a single line in a novel or fiction. It was all 
on modern and ancient history, theology, and the 
arts and sciences, such as taught in our schools and 
colleges. Though, I must say that I read newspaper 
accounts of the robberies during my youth that 
were beginnning to be a scourge of the country in 
the west, laid to some of Quantrell's men; but 
which, instead of having the effect of misleading 
me, had more a tendency to excite a curiosity to 
know what should possess men to do so, and create 
a desire rather to be with such men to study their 
motives. 

I attended college at Ann Arbor a very short time, 
when I became dissatisfied and went over to Toronto, 



52 THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 

Canada, thinking of entering the polytechnic at that 
place; but after viewing the situation, it neither 
suited me. I took up board at the Shakespeare 
hotel and I think I remained three weeks. I had 
all my books with me, and would sit up till late 
hours at night studying them, hardly taking time to 
attend their occasional entertainments in their 
large parlor below. From this place, I went south, 
after visiting the Niagara Falls, and seeing the 
sights generally in this section of country ; also go- 
ing into western Michigan, up St. Mary's River, 
looking at the lock in the "Soo" Canal. 

Although, still in my teens, my mind was now 
becoming restless for a profession for a livelihood. 
Some time after returning home again, I sauntered 
over to the old homestead. Here, to my surprise 
(for it appeared to me only a few days since the 
opening of spring) I found the wheat heading out, 
the clover in blooms, and everything indicating the 
immediate approach of summer. 

"This will never do," I said to myself, "I must 
be geting off and a-doing." 

On my way home. I thought of where I best 
go and what I best do. The kind of a profession I 
best liked was one which required traveling about. 
And now I come to what hitherto, for some time 
has been brewing in my mind, a restlessness, which, 
together with a natural thirst for knowledge and 
adventure, to which alluded before, culminated in 



THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 53 

leading me away from home out into the world. 

Our town and country at this time, as the north- 
east generally, was very zealous in religious devo- 
tion, at least the class to whom my people adhered. 
The Evangelicals, the church of my parents, had 
their quarterly and protracted meetings, and all — 
the Methodists, Baptists and Congregationalists — 
had their revivals. The Evangelical and Metho- 
dist churches, as their form of worship was similar, 
generally clubbed together during their revival meet- 
ings and the converts requested to join the church 
in which they felt best at home. At all these meet- 
ings they had continual shouting, and a going 
through the congregation imploring those not be- 
longing to church, sinners as they called them, to 
go forward to the mourners' bench, be converted 
and be saved. I cannot say, however, that I was 
ever implored to go forward particularly by any 
of my relatives, but was by the preachers. This 
was a most painful embarrassment to me, to go or 
not to go, as my mother taught me before she died, 
not to be hypocritical in anything I did; and so 
was in no state of mind to receive such doctrine. I 
had been kept in school studying the arts 
and sciences till I wanted reasons and proof 
for everything. In geometry, trigonometry and 
astronomy to which I had devoted so much 
time and had completed, no conclusion was 
admitted without proof and reason. So in all 



54 THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 

the arts and sciences, everything was syste- 
matized so I could comprehend and understand. 
But I found it to the contrary in this religious doc- 
trine. Then so many different religious denomina- 
tions, and all claiming to be right, perplexed me. 
And again, I found the Catholics as zealous in their 
religious observances as my own people, and an- 
tagonistic to each other. 

In the meanwhile several years before leaving 
home, I procured all the different theologies and 
writings bearing on the subject I could get, and I 
read the bible from one end to the other, thinking 
I would solve the problem satisfactorily to myself. 
But this only opened the breach wider for conjec- 
ture than ever. 

'There is a true religion," I said, "and it can be 
systematized." 

I had now conceived that the surroundings and 
inheritance of man, to a certain extent, is responsi- 
ble for what he is. For instance one brought up 
under Catholicism is likely to be a Catholic, one 
brought up under Protestantism a Protestant, one 
brought up under Mohammedanism a Mohamme- 
dan, and one brought up under Methodism is likely 
to be a Methodist, one brought up under Congrega- 
tionalism likely a Congregationalist, etc. Again, 
a child of a criminal, if surroundings favorable, is 
likely to become a criminal also ; a child of a drunk- 
ard, if surroundings favorable, a drunkard also, 



THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 55 

and so on. "It is not free moral agency." I 
said, "but as much obligatory moral agency." 
By this "obligatory moral agency" I meant that 
man was under obligations to certain conditions for 
what he was and not free to act in himself in every 
particular. I want the kind reader to understand 
that I am not advocating such doctrine here, but am 
merely giving a sketch of my past history. 

I will now go back to my return from the home- 
stead and choosing a profession. A man naturally 
follows as a profession, either that which he fancies 
is his duty, or that which he thinks is most appli- 
cable and financially a success, or both. So a lec- 
turing tour, advocating "obligatory moral agency," 
I fancied was not only my duty, but would be fin- 
ancially a success. I already had written a suffi- 
cient number of essays on this subject, which by 
combining and putting into form, made a very re- 
spectable lecture. This I forthwith proceeded to 
memorize for delivery, laying awake till late hours 
at night, repeating it over and over again to myself. 
I immediately left for Grand Rapids, Michigan, 
where I had circulars printed as long as my arm ad- 
vertising the lecture, expressing in glowing 
terms the subject, Obligatory Moral Agency. 
I did not lecture at this place, but here 
bought a fine suit of clothes, inclusive of a 
silk plug hat and a pair of alligator shoes. 
I then took my circulars and crossed Lake 



56 THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 

Michigan to deliver my first lecture in Wisconsin. 
I remember I took the steamer at Grandhaven 
about sunrise in the morning and arrived at Mil- 
waukee about eleven o'clock that forenoon. At 
every opportunity I would walk out into the thickets 
or away on the prairie and deliver the lecture aloud 
to myself in the grandest style and eloquence my 
oratory admitted. 

Although I had some experience, hitherto, in fac- 
ing an audience, still I found that I lacked suffi- 
cient experience to give me the proper decorum and 
self-possession I should have had. I never remem- 
ber making but two deliveries up to this time in my 
life, and these were an oration in a literary at Car- 
lisle, Indiana, and my graduating address. To my 
detriment, I always managed someway to avoid tak- 
ing part in literaries aside from this. I remember the 
oration I delivered in the literary at Carlisle, had the 
words heaven and hell in it ; and Prof. Smith, after 
returning to our room, laid down and rolled on the 
carpet and laughed, saying that whenver I came to 
the word heaven and should have pointed up I point- 
ed down, and when I came to the word hell I would 
point up. But I believed my part of this and re- 
marked that I said it just the same. In my graduat- 
ing address I presume I did much better, at least 
the professors said I did well. But for all this, what 
I lacked in oratory to deliver my lecture, I made up 
in brass and altisonant expressions. 



THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 57 

It was in the town of Fond du Lac, if I remember 
right, where I procured a hall and delivered my lec- 
ture first. Experience is what I was now beginning 
to reap. I found that it took something else besides 
losing sleep till late hours at night preparing a lec- 
ture, bombast and brass to get the people to turn out 
and make lecturing a success. There was a miss- 
ing link somewhere, for I barely had audience 
enough to lecture to. This was very embarrassing; 
but fortunately the train was due after my lecture, 
which gave me much relief, as I went on board and 
immediately left these ruthless people. I never stop- 
ped until I came to Kansas. I think it was Osage 
City, Kansas, where I procured their opera house 
and advertisd my lecture next. This time I conclud- 
ed to charge more admission fees for the lecture, in- 
serting a dollar as the fees, thinking it might ag- 
grandize the lecture and be for the best. But if any- 
thing, it only made bad matters worse. Crowds 
would gather on the outside; and I overheard ex- 
pressions like these from elderly men: "What does 
that beardless boy know about such things." And, 
"I can't hardly tell by the circulars what the 
lecture will be, but I think the meaning is 
that we are not held accountable by the Crea- 
tor for what we do." Noticing these conditions 
confronting me, not to meet with a complete 
failure, I early began to issue complimentary tickets. 
In this way, I got an audience to lecture to again, 



58 THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 

But my expectations were so badly frustrated that 
after the lecture, instead of going to the hotel, I 
felt like being off by myself. I thereupon picked up 
my small grip and went to the depot, and finding that 
the south bound train was not due till the next day, I 
walked briskly out into the darkness, and took it 
afoot down the railroad track. I walked till after 
midnight, fully ten miles, and then went over on 
the right to some newly made haystacks to retire 
for the night, the weather being dry, nice and 
warm. I laid my silk hat along my side and used 
my coat for a pillow. I never woke up till day- 
light in the morning, when I saw my stovepipe 
hat had rolled down to the foot of the hill, where 
the wind must have blown it. I now thought to 
myself how I had been splurging about putting up 
at the best hotels, as the Palmer House in Chicago, 
and now meet with such fare as this. I took my 
grip, got my plug hat and proceeded down the rail- 
road track several miles to a house, where I 
stopped for my breakfast, saying that I left that 
morning without my breakfast as I wanted to get 
to town in time for the train. The good lady not 
making any charges, I laid a quarter on the table, 
saying I did not wish to intrude for nothing. Up- 
on being refreshed by the hot breakfast (for any 
one familiar with such over-exertions knows how 
refreshing it is), I leisurely walked on to town, 
thinking over my experience. 



THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 59 

"What does the boy know about such things," 
kept coming into my mind. "This is what they 
will say/' I thought. "If I could make my hair 
grey and my face rinkly, I would keep on lectur- 
ing," I said, "but to continue in this way and un- 
der other unfavorable conditions is too embarras- 
sing." It became revealed to me now that a man 
cannot perfect a profession in a moment, especially 
become a successful lecturer on subjects not popu- 
lar and out of the ordinary channels of thought ; 
even the most scientific, no matter how true, only 
conservative and less able to understand. By the 
time the south bound train rolled in, I came to a 
the less acceptable, since the people generally are 
conclusion to quit lecturing on this theme and not 
promulgate anything bearing thereon either 
orally or in writing till I acquired more experience 
and became older. So I concluded to return home 
again and follow doing something more agreeable. 

Traveling by railway, I will say, was not very 
expensive to me in this age, as I managed to pro- 
cure passes, else rode on mileage, competition or 
excursion tickets; the competition between 
different railway companies being very great, not 
having been organized as they now are. Whether 
I went to lower Kansas and visited my brother 
Benjamin this trip I do not remember; but I 
stopped over a few days with my uncle Philip Wag- 
oner on my return, for I remember showing a cir- 



6o THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 

cular to my cousin Lizzie and she complimented 
me and wanted one to keep to show. Upon my 
return home, I never told any one of my lecturing 
tour that I remember, except my father; but the 
Methodist preacher must have gotten one of my 
circulars someway, for when I went to the church 
the following Sunday, it appears he had a sermon 
to meet the occasion. He drilled wearily on the 
idea of such a thing as oposing free moral agency. 
But I thought to myself, if he had heard my lecture 
on what I styled obligatory moral agency, he 
would not have said what he did; for the way I 
presented it there was no conflict between it and 
pure Christianity. For example: "Train up a 
child in the way he should go ;" that is, place it un- 
der conditions, as I had it, culture and develop 
those forces you want the child to possess when 
grown, thus have the child grow up to be a person 
of integrity, temperance, morals, good manners, etc. 
Even, I can see, now, that had I been properly 
bridled when a child and growing up, I might not 
have left home as I did. My father made a mis- 
take by not ascertaining to what profession I was 
most naturally inclined and give me encouragement 
in that direction, which he never did. 

As soon as I went home from church where re- 
buked by the Methodist Minister, I concluded to di- 
vert the attention of my acquaintance and friends 
therefrom, and conciliate matters, by giving a lecture 



THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 61 

on temperance in our town. I, therefore, procured 
the Congregational church across the way from our 
house, and had it announced to be a week from then 
at night. The lecture consisted of physiological facts, 
such as pertaining to the evils of alcoholic beverages 
and that of the tobacco habits. The lecture was 
free, and I had a full house. I remember Prof. 
Shambaugh and nearly all the college students were 
there; and after the lecture he came to the front, 
shook hands, and complimented me on the lecture. 
My niece, Sara Isenhower, who was attending 
school at the time, informed me afterwards that 
Prof. Shambaugh told them all, when he heard of 
the lecture, that it was their duty to attend, give me 
a full house and show respect; that I had been a 
student among them, am from the town, and that 
he would be there at the lecture himself. This al- 
ways made me think what a man of integrity and 
how noble he must have been. 

A short time after this, I told my father that I 
wanted to engage in something that there was some 
money in, and that if he asisted me with several 
hundred dollars, I would go into southern Kansas 
or Texas and bring up a couple car-loads of un- 
broke ponies; that I could get them from four to 
ten dollars a head by taking a herd at a time, and 
sell them in the north at a good price. He pro- 
cured me the money desird, and I immediately 
left and went to southern Kansas and the Indian 



62 THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 

Territory. I stopped at Chetopa, Kansas, and hired 
a livery team from Barr Brothers (I think this 
was the name), and drove about to different 
ranches and bought a herd directly, which I 
shipped. This trip proved to be quite profitable. 
After this trip I returned home. In getting the 
money I wanted before leaving, my father had 
gotten a hundred dollars from Gilbert & Michael 
to make up the amount. So I saw Mr. Gilbert and 
asked him if they wanted the money or whether I 
could use it longer. He said they needed it, where- 
upon I paid the amount due them. I now con- 
cluded to make a trip and buy horses on a smaller 
scale and with my own money. I forthwith went 
to Ft. Scott, Kansas, and there bought a span of 
ponies broke to drive, and a topless buggy with har- 
ness, to save paying livery bills in locating horses 
for sale. I went below Baxter Springs across the 
Territory line and bought enough for a car load, 
and had them all broke to lead before leaving with 
them. Necking them together in pairs and each 
pair fastened to a rope running between them, I 
took the front end of the rope, got in my buggy 
and drove away, intending to ship from Ft. Scott. 
The grass was excellent all through this country, 
and no expense for feeding them was necessary; 
the country being nearly all open, except what little 
fencing there was about the different towns. 
By the time I arrived at Ft. Scott, I found that I 



THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 63 

could dispose of them at profitable rates merely 
by driving northward through the country. I al- 
ready had sold a couple pairs. So I started north- 
ward in the direction my brother was located, sell- 
ing them along as I went, and swapping off unruly 
ones to lead at every opportunity, sometimes pay- 
ing difference. When I arrived at my brother's, 
I think I had but three left besides the team I was 
driving. 

I remained at my brother's less than a week; 
when I left for, I think is was Lawrence, Kansas, 
to sell my buggy and team in view of taking a trip 
in the south on a different business, which I did; 
inasmuch that I had been carrying on correspond- 
ences of various kinds, such as one will when not 
permanently engaged, and desirous of something 
new and better. To make it plain, I will now go 
back and relate a couple of incidents which hap- 
pened, and which favorably impressed me with 
the idea of entering the detective service. 

As I was riding along on a train at night for 
Buffalo, New York, there came walking down the 
aisle an observant and effeminate looking young 
man, who, apparently attracted by my appearance, 
confronted me and asked whether he could sit side 
of me. "Certainly," I replied, "with pleasure." 
He entered into a very pleasant conversation, and 
indicative of accomplishment and culture; when, 
upon approaching Buffalo, he said: "Do you cus- 



64 THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 

tomarily take an omnibus to your hotel or walk 
down ?" 

"I have never been in Buffalo before," I re- 
marked "and I always take a 'bus in such cases at 
night." "Walk down with me," he continued, "I 
go right by one of the principal hotels, and it is 
but a little ways." "All right," said I, and off 
together we went. We turned one corner after an- 
other and passed tall and magnificent buildings till 
I became a little alarmed that I might be misled; 
when, all of a sudden he stopped at the foot of a 
flight of stairs by one of these buildings and said, 
"here is my place of business, let us go up and 
warm." It was cold and freezing wintry weather 
and at the dead hours of night. All the business 
houses and offices were closed and the darkness 
and stillness of the night reigned supreme, save 
the gloomy light emitted from a distant lamp- 
post and the occasional footstep of a passenger in 
the distance going to his home. I kept following 
on behind till he came to a door on the right and 
took out a bunch of keys and unlocked it. As the 
door swung open and he struck a match, I looked 
into the room over his shoulders, and seeing a 
beautiful and well furnished room with great cases 
of large and elegant books, I thought to myself: 
"This cannot be a robber assuredly," and follow- 
ed in. The room was warmed by a steam heater, 
before which sat a sofa on which he asked me to 



THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 65 

be seated while he was turning on the steam. It 
seems he was careful not to turn on any more 
light than we could barely see about in the room 
and determine each other's forms. He instantly 
turned to me, grasped my hands, asked me to take 
off my overcoat, and then taking hold of it he 
tried to take it off, to which I reluctantly yielded 
and took it off myself. He then sat down by 
my side, squeezed my hand, fondled over my lap 
and made such advances which dumfounded me 
that a fellow youth should be guilty of. 

"You are no man/' I finally ejaculated, "but a 
female attired in men's clothing." 

However, she was too refined and of too much 
self possession to further the object of her love, 
and was anxiously willing to go show me the way 
to the destined hotel. She again took the lead and 
led me about as mysteriously as we came, and ulti- 
mately took me into an office of a hotel, where the 
night clerk had me register, during which time she 
had gone out and disappeared in the darkness. 

"Who was that young man who brought me 
in," I queried of the clerk, when I saw she had 
left. 

"I cannot tell you, a stranger to me, cannot say 
I ever saw him before," was the answer. 

Next day this strange maneuver was very im- 
pressive on my mind, and I enquired of a prominent 
citizen what it could have meant and who it could 



66 THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 

have been. He said, from my account, it must 
have been a female detective, probably a member 
of the city police force, who allured me thither, 
thinking I suited the description of some one 
wanted, and had that way of determining marks 
of identification. Let this be as it may, it created 
a desire to know more of this thing of "secret ser- 
vice/' whereof I read and heard before. So no- 
ticing an advertisement in a newspaper for young 
men to become members of the U. S. Detective 
Association located at Sacramento, California, I 
wrote for particulars; and afterwards sent money 
for badge and credentials. These were forwarded 
to me in my rounds. 

Another incident, which had a bearing on the 
form of my pursuance, occurred during a trip buy- 
ing horses. On this trip, I had a place as head- 
quarters with two elderly persons, man and wife, 
apparently without children, in Southern Kansas, 
where I would turn my horses into pasture as I 
bought them and rest up generally. Owing to my 
young appearance, these people would call me Kid. 
Even, I found it to my success and agreeability to 
represent myself as one, buying horses for a com- 
pany. And for the same reason I found that my 
checks were accepted with the greatest difficulty and 
trouble, so that I carried the money with me in pay- 
ing the bills. I had two pocket-books made of thin 
though hard leather, which, when folded were in the 



THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 67 

shape of whole shoe soles. In these, I would slip 
my bills, fold them up, and wear one in each shoe 
as inside shoe soles. In this way, after reckoning 
up the amount of bills, I would retire to an out- 
house or out-of-the-way place, get out the money 
and put it in my vest pocket, then return and pay 
them. 

At this place one night, I was woke up by two 
men calling to stay all night. 

"Yes," said the man of the house, " you know I 
never have refused to keep you; take your horses 
to the stable and I'll be out and assist you." Upon 
returning, he continued: "You will be obliged to 
sleep on the floor or get in bed with the Kid, we are 
short of bedsteads." 

"We'll see to that alright, we'll make our own 
bed," they replied. 

Immediately entering my room, they brought 
quilts, blankets and pillows and threw them on the 
floor beside my bed, then they pulled them under it 
and made their bed under mine, having the lamp 
burning very dim. All this time, I pretended to be 
I asleep. Next morning, I was awakened early by 
] . one of them punching my bed up from below say- 
ing, "Oh, Kid ! Kid ! if you go out and feed our 
horses, I'll give you a quarter." 
j "Yes," I replied getting up, "I'll feed your 
horses." I did this willingly, as I had a curiosity in 
knowing what kind of people they were. The lady 



68 THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 

of the house was already up preparing to get break- 
fast, presumably having had an understanding to 
get them off early. When I returned from feeding 
the horses, the men were up a washing. They were 
robust and bully looking kind of fellows with beard 
all over their faces, apparently had not shaved for 
weeks. I went to my room, and noticing one of the 
men's coats, I took a letter from a pocket and stuck 
it under something in the lower drawer of the 
bureau, in the room, being afraid to have it on my 
person in their presence. In the corner of the room, 
covered with blankets, was a sack containing, it 
looked to me like over a bushel of trinkets, having 
somewhat the appearance of ear corn. When they 
were taking this from the room, upon leaving, I 
asked them what it was. One replied that it was 
corn for the horses. The lady of the house had 
only gotten breakfast for the two men, who thus 
were off before the break of day. While I was still 
in the house, one of the men remaining behind went 
into the kitchen and asked the lady what she would 
charge them for the trouble they made her. She 
said that she never made charges for staying over 
night only, whereupon he reached in his pocket and 
pulled out a handful of silver and pitched it in her 
lap. I then followed along out to the stable where 
the rest were saddling up the horses. 

Here, I noticed the other man asking the man of 
the house the amount of their bill ; and when he said 



THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 69 

nothing, the man threw a handful of coins over into 
the horse trough for him. The men, then I noticed, 
left their good hats and wore away some old 
slouchy ones, which I suppose they had gotten from 
the man of the house. I think this was in the year 
1877 or about that time, as I must not have been 
over nineteen years old. 

It is plain that these men were upon a retreat 
from a train or bank robbery, and that the sack of 
trinkets of which I spoke, was their booty. This 
was particularly plain to me after I read that letter. 
The letter was from another member of their gang 
written before the robbery and the address good 
only for a limited time. It was written in such a 
deceiving way that had I not gotten it as I did, one 
would have thought that it pertained merely to or- 
dinary business. As soon as I had gotten my cre- 
dentials from the U. S. Detective Association of 
vSacramento, and became a full-fledged detective, as 
I called it, I wrote in flourishing colors to the mem- 
ber of the gang whose address was given in the 
letter. I spoke of the singular way in which I had 
met two of the men one night in Kansas, and that 
I wanted to join them. I am now sure that the two 
men had been told by the man where I had seen 
them of my superior marksmanship, for I had done 
considerable shooting in his presence; which prob- 
ably had its bearing in inspiring them with confi- 
dence and a desire to see me. 



70 THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 

It was a reply from them I had now received, tell- 
ing me where and when I should come, giving me 
the signal I should use in approaching them; and 
cautioning me to be by myself, otherwise I would 
not be admitted into their presence and would be in 
danger of my life. So it was in view of going 
abroad on my new mission that I went to Law- 
rence, to dispose of my rig. Now, the object of my 
joining the gang, primarily was the same as that of 
other detectives such as given by former newspaper 
accounts. Nevertheless, I was simultaneously 
prompted by that indomitable desire for adventure 
and experience spoken of before. This thing of 
"free and obligatory moral agency," to solve the 
problem of the consequent action and deeds of men, 
why some men should be evil doers and others doers 
of good, and their relation with reference to future 
punishments and rewards, was still on my mind. 
Also, other problems, such as the science of a free 
and permanent republic, were worrying me. Even 
like Archimedes, I was so absorbed in the study of 
my problems that I became nearly unheedful of 
everything else at times, — Archimedes unheedful 
of the storming of Syracuse and not aware of the 
dire event, I not always heedful of bringing crimi- 
nals to justice and unmindful of my dangerous pur- 
suance. And it was my ambition by virtue whereof 
I speak, to undergo, as I have, the experience of 
every profession whatsoever of man. In all these pro- 



THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 71 

fessions, teaching school as well, I strove to be con- 
genial in character and manners with others and 
not outdo myself, rather falling below them in bril- 
liancy and aptitude. I remember once a man said I 
was the smartest fool he ever saw. By this he 
meant I knew so much outside of my profession. , 



72 THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 



CHAPTER VII. 

"Me alegro verle a Vd," said one of the men ap- 
proaching me, at our place of meeting, Vinita, In- 
dian Territory, one who I had met up in Kansas. 

"Me es igualmente agradable," I said the best I 
could. "Step over here, see if you know these 
boys," he continued. 

It was about a mile or one and a half out on the 
north road, where it crossed a creek with a strip of 
timber on each side. I walked out one morning from 
town; and as I came near I saw several horses tied 
on the other side of the creek, a short distance in 
the timber on the east side of the road. To the best 
of my recollection it was a wet-weather creek and 
was dry; for I know instead of going around west 
by the turn of the road, I went over straight across, 
where to the north of me there was a glade of 
prairie with tall grass. To keep from getting wet 
with dew, I went around the edge to the east where 
the horses were. As I was approaching them, I 
gave the signal ; when, in a moment's time, the boys 
came in sight. There were only three awaiting me 
— the two men I met in Kansas and a boyish-look- 



THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 73 

ing kind of fellow who was slightly crippled. I will 
never forget the looks of the place, nor the queer 
feelings I had while walking out from town. 

At this time all the country was on the outside 
and unfenced. After a hurried conversation, I found 
that they were anxious to be a going and that the 
agreement was for them to meet the other boys at a 
ranch in western Texas. In the course of time, I 
learned the situation, though mainly through obser- 
vation and circumstantial happenings. In western 
Texas, it seems, they had a ranch as headquarters 
and refuge, while in Kansas they had a temporary 
pasture and headquarters to change horses during a 
raid. But only the company or full members of the 
gang had the advantage of this or knew about it. 
Upon planning a raid, they would mount their best 
steeds in Kansas ride leisurely and severally to their 
place of rendezvous, when after it, unless in cases 
inexpedient, irace back, exchange horses, and 
course on to the southwest. In many raids, I 
learned that there were home-men in it, or men en- 
tirely alien to the knowledge of the true operation 
of the leaders. 

Before meeting the boys at Vinita, I took my sil- 
ver detective badge, on which was engraved U. S. 
Detective, and sewed it within two layers of leather 
of my sixshooter scabbard, having the loop for the 
belt made wide and cross over the place of the badge 
besides. My commission and papers of author- 



74 THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 

ity, I put into my inside shoe-sole pocketbook and 
tacked it down to the other sole. The object in con- 
cealing my credentials on my person in this way 
was to have them in readiness in case I should be 
caught with the outlaws by officers or in case the 
opportunity should present itself to make an arrest. 
"We have an extra horse along for you to ride," 
said one of the men; "but no saddle/' he continued. 
They agreed for me to lead the horse over to town 
and buy me a saddle, which I did, also buying a 44 
caliber Winchester. We always had our guns and 
six shooters shoot the same size cartridges. As 
soon as I returned, we took a branch road to the 
southwest, leaving Vinita to our left. Our equip- 
ages besides our guns, were mainly our slickers, few 
blankets, a pot and frying pan, a small sack of flour 
and a few other necessaries. During the day we al- 
ways aimed to get a meal or two at some out of the 
way place or ranch, as we passed through the coun- 
try, and cook only our breakfast in the morning, 
as invariably we rode late in the night and slept, as 
best expressed, in the wilderness. We were all 
dressed in cowboy style. We took the first night's 
lodging about three quarter's of a days ride south- 
west of Vinita. It was in a flat with a coarse and 
tall growth of grass and a few scattering bushes. 
We groped our way into the tall grass and staked 
and hobbled our horses ; and then pressed down the 
grass, upon which we made our beds. The grass 



THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 75 

appeared to be in little stools, which made our 
beds bumpy and hard. I remember one of the men 
turned over once and said, "our bed is equal to the 
bed of Euripides' Medea, hard enough to gall us." 
I thought to myself you are pretty well read up, 
though you either mistake family troubles for 
physical torture, or misconstrue it on purpose. I 
was awakened a number of times during the night 
by the clamor of the howling wolves about us and 
dismal outcries in the distance as by a panther. 
But this nightly clamor of the coyotes, so com- 
mon on the prairies of the southwest, shortly had 
no more effect on my sleep than the clamor of 
croaking frogs used to, so common in the country 
of my boyhood. Nearly all kinds of game abounded 
in this country — deer and turkeys in the timber, 
antelope on the prairies, and countless number of 
ducks on the lakes upon the plains. In the shinner- 
ies, as through Stonewall and Fisher Counties, I 
particularly remember noticing the little red deer in 
abundance, while along the caprocks and about the 
mesas into New Mexico, there were the blacktail 
deer. I do not think there was a day passed but 
what we did not have some kind of fresh meat and 
dryed collops of deer or antelope packed away 
among the chuck. Mavericks were also abundant 
many places through this country. Though when- 
ever the boys relished beef, they did not fool about 
long looking for brands, but shot down the first one 



76 THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 

that appeared to be fat. They would always skin 
off and destroy the brand, if any, then cut off the 
meat wanted, and leave the balance to the wolves; 
nevertheless, I have seen them burn the remains 
after sacking the meat. We were a week or more 
crossing the country to the ranch in western Texas 
on the plains. I found the country a monotony of 
grassy prairies interspersed with strips of timber, 
as along rivers and streams, till we arrived at the 
caprocks in Texas, where we came to a large ex- 
panse of elevated prairie, "the plains/' dotted with a 
countless number of wet-weather lakes, and ex- 
tending westward into New Mexico towards the 
rockies. This scenery of diversified landscapes, at- 
tended with other singularities, was very novel 
and romantic from the outset. Riding along one 
clay, I remember, I thought to myself, what if my 
people, my father, sisters, and brothers, could be- 
hold this country and see me riding along in this 
garb with these men, what would they think !" 

The ranch appears to have been in one man's 
name and several others having a controlling inter- 
est. The former seems to have assisted in planning 
raids but would not engage in them personally; 
while the latter executed the work. There appear 
to have been several more men connected with the 
gang originally, but who were killed in some raid. 
And there were more or less cowboys, at different 
times, working on the ranch, but who did not 



THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 77 

always know the nature of things. The boys never 
fooled taking horses or cattle unless in herds; and 
they would never steal a horse or a rig, unless to 
get away on in case of an accident in a raid. 

My experience with the boys was now one of 
perversions till I deserted them. Tediously serving 
on guard at night, and watching the sun to set 
from brush or cavern for the shades of night to 
shield us from observation was a common thing. 
Oh, how slow the celestial chronometers appeared 
in their operation! Little did I think when I stud- 
ied astronomy in the days of my youth, that it 
would be a source of comfort in adversity. By de- 
grees The Dipper moved in its apparent orbit around 
the star in the north, indicating the time of night 
as though by a clock. 

"I wonder if this dipper with its handle moving 
around the north star did not put the first idea of 
a clock in the inventor's head, although taught by 
geography that it was modeled upon the rotation 
of the earth/' I thought. 

The Pleiades leisurely receded from the east 
to the west as the hours of night rolled by. The 
moon in its wane made its appearance a little later 
each night till entire darkness, save the faint radi- 
ance of constellations and other celestial orbs, over- 
shadowed us. Upon whiling away the day in await- 
ing the approach of darkness, I many times formed 
great paths in the brush or caverns walking to and 



78 THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 

fro gazing about. 

On one trip, we went northwest on a round-up. 
It was off the caprocks near a mesa, not far from 
the old Ft. Smith and Santa Fe stage road. I think 
it was near the state line and on the side of New 
Mexico. We occupied the mesa as headquarters. 

The top of the mesa was accesible by horseback 
or stock at one place, and the sides of which con- 
sisted of perpendicular walls of rock and precipices 
serving as a fence, thus forming a large enclosure 
of fine grazing land. But the source of water on 
top was limited to a seap spring, and water stand- 
ing in cisterns or excavations in rocks, some of 
which looked as though they might have been dug 
out by the hands of man for this purpose. The 
rains in these parts were very infreqent so that the 
supply of water here was quite periodical — rarely 
ever getting over two good rains a year. During 
this trip we did not tarry as long on account of the 
supply of water, as otherwise we would have done. 
The principal water sources, then, in this arid coun- 
try, were the head waters of the Pecos, Frio and 
Canadian and their tributaries, which stood in mere 
pools and frequently dried up altogether; and the 
scattering springs over the country known only to 
a few. At one part of the mesa, there was a gulch 
running off cutting apart all but a neck of land. 
Across this neck, one day, I made a fence with 
poles, some old pieces of wire and lariat ropes, 



THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 79 

which enclosure then served as a corral for our sad- 
dle horses and also as a small pasture. A great part 
of my time, here, I put in guarding things and sup- 
plying the cook with game, as I was considered 
their best marksman. Besides, owing to a sprain 
and rheumatism in my left leg, when a boy, I some- 
times became lamed after long rides, which I al- 
ways made an objective point in order to avoid 
being pressed into service so much, and have more 
time for thought, reading and reflection. Many 
hours had I spent, in this way, on guard as a picket 
at some prominent point or peak with a Winchester 
in reach. 

Many depredations throughout the country in 
those times, of which these very nightriders them- 
selves were guilty, were laid on other parties. A 
number of times, I thought seriously of risking the 
consequences and divulge their plans more to the 
officers of the law than I did, but there was always 
some preventing impulse for which I could not 
account. 

"Why did I not abide by my avowal?" I after- 
wards would think, "was it unsafe and it to be so; 
or, are these criminals not of sufficient import for 
me to risk life to dawdle away time over at such 
occasions ?" 

"There is other corruption viler than this; as 
corruption in government, robbing people of mil- 
lions instead of mere thousands/' I continued to 



80 THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 

think, "besides they are serving to some extent as 
factors in developing the country in the wild west." 

However, when reasonably safe, at opportune 
times, I would always divulge what I could to my 
constituents and officers of the law. And I am safe 
in saying that on account of my presence there was 
no more murder or depredations committed than 
had I not been with them; but if anything less, as 
my efforts were against it. It is for this reason 
that I now feel conscientious in my past actions. 

These men, invariably, upon entering settlements, 
went into the best society, and were observant of 
good manners and conduct. They were not the 
crackbrains so commonly noticed in public gather- 
ings, sitting and giggling and otherwise causing 
disturbances. I have known them, however, at sev- 
eral places, where they became disgusted with the 
misbehavior and impudence of certain ones at frol- 
ics to break them by shooting out the lights and 
producing a stampede generally. I always found 
them polite and attentive to women, and not guilty 
of insulting them unless they gave cause or sign of 
waywardness. But such a thing as bashfulness is 
something that was ever eradicated from within 
their existence. The use of intoxicating liquors 
rarely ever any of them took to; they only knew 
too well that one under the influence of liquor 
would not do in a trying time. But in gambling, 
bucking the tiger and the like, they ever indulged, 



THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 81 

and were sources affording them the greatest pleas- 
ure. Among them were some of generous and 
noble dispositions. I knew them to divide up with 
the needy, and nearly always found them true to 
their word after agreements. To swearing, I might 
say, they were not addicted habitually, nor un- 
thoughtedly; but rather at appropriate times, and 
to express meaning emphatically. 

I noticed at this time in this country that men 
gained nothing by being too selfish and inhospita- 
ble. Men of this character, invariably, had their 
gates left open, sometimes fences torn down and 
stock let out or in, and put to other disadvantages ; 
while those of a more generous and hospitable 
character gained friends and were treated accord- 
ingly. 

Nothing uncommon to the customary routine in 
such pursuance occurred while I was with the gang, 
at least that would be in place to relate. I was ar- 
rested one time but this was separate and discon- 
nected from affairs pertaining to them. It came 
about in this way: — I was ever keeping in touch 
with advertisements and accounts in scientific per- 
iodicals of new inventions, especially at this time in 
the shooting line; and had sent for an outfit of a 
new kind of gunpowder and other chemicals and 
attachments, to be expressed to San Antonio. 
Thereupon, I went to the city after them and do 
errands for the boys. I had my horse hitched back 



82 THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 

of the Union depot, intending to inquire about the 
trains and get some railroad maps after going to 
the express office, and attend to other things. So 
with a small grip in one hand and the outfit of 
powder and things in a separate package, I started 
for the depot. Just before arriving, I came to a car 
side-tracked between it and where my horse was 
hitched. Into an open space at the end of the car 
I slipped the package to remain until I returned so 
as not to be so much in the way. But a police saw 
me leave it; and when I returned, two police had it 
open examining it, and I presume they thought I 
might be a dynamiter or something; at least they 
told me to consider myself under arrest and give 
account of myself at police headquarters. Arriving 
at headquarters, they sent for their chemist, and 
had me put in a cell. The cell was of massive rock 
walls and the door of heavy iron bars and con- 
tained nothing in the way of furniture but a re- 
spectable looking cot or lounge. For, I remember, 
I reclined on it looking over some papers, laughing 
to myself at their ignorance and the outcome. I 
suppose there never was a prisoner of any more 
uneasiness and unconcern during the time than I, 
for I knew nothing could be made out against me. 
Directly a turnkey called and said I was wanted 
in the office. Here the package was turned over to 
me by one of the officers laughingly, saying no 
charges are preferred against me. 



THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 83 



CHAPTER VIII. 

"We have decided that you hold the horses while 
we do the work. Keep them arranged our custom- 
ary way, and now be up to your job." 

This was addressed to me just before the last raid 
after which I abandoned the boys. It was up above 
in the upper country. The boys had gotten tired of 
the monotony of the west and for a change planned 
this raid in the north. In their last trip to the 
south, the boys rode mere cow-ponies, leaving their 
blooded steeds at their temporary quarters. There- 
upon, in returning we went by railway and by dif- 
ferent routes. 

All mounted and equipped equestrian like, we 
rode in pairs in different directions and met under 
the shadow of night at the place of operation. The 
boys in returning to the horses after the work, did 
so in such confusion, and amid some shooting, that 
the horses became unmanageable, and one got away 
from me. It was the horse ridden by the boyish 
looking fellow whom I first met at Vinita. I took 
him up on the horse with me and dashed off, taking 
a road in a southern direction, hitting the ground, 
so to say, only in high places. We rode till day 
break in the morning when our horse became so 



84 THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 

lamed that we had to leave him. We had now 
crossed a railroad track running east and west. 
The country here was rough ; and was fenced off In 
big pastures, and seemingly thinly settled. We 
rode on over into the pasture aways, took the sad- 
dle and other things and placed them out of sight ; 
and then taking our luncheon and arms, led the 
horse out into a glade where there was a density 
of grass and turned him free, first rubbing him 
down to avoid the appearance of having been fresh- 
ly ridden. We now took it afoot westward through 
the country along the railroad track, just keeping 
in sight of the telegraph poles till sun-up. We then 
selected a suitable hollow of underbrush to lay 
over during the day and rest. 

Strange thoughts here all day kept presenting 
themselves. 

"I can arrest this fellow now with ease and 
march him to the station as a prisoner/' I thought. 

As a matter of generalship a day or so before the 
raid, I had called a landlord aside where I had 
taken a night's lodging and told him confidentially 
I was a detective and was expecting some crooked 
work to be done, and that I was on the lookout; 
but instead of my right name gave an assumed 
one. "All this, with my credentials as a detective 
and my prisoner in charge, would show up clever 
work I have done," I thought, "but is it just and 
prudent." "There is other corruption worse than 



THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 85 

this, even in church as well as state I can find," I 
continued to think again. "Yes! there are law- 
makers of our people who are selling their votes 
in the enactment of laws and otherwise perfidious 
to trust, which rob the people of millions; and 
which will affect the interests of the unborn for 
generations. These are the vilest of criminals! 
These are the men I would like to see brought to 
justice! Why then trifle with this fellow, this in- 
significant personage! Yea, I am after greater 
criminals; and besides out unveiling the mysteries 
of the world. I shall abandon this clique, and 
enter other fields of exploit." Also, some of the 
leaders of the gang having been killed, I was 
worked up over the idea that through certain in- 
tricacies I might be implicated myself and a re- 
flection brought on the family, when I thought it 
best to abandon them and seek some seclusion. 
Thinking this, I arose and walked to and fro, de- 
veloping plans secretly to myself what to do. My 
conclusion was to return to Texas. Before the 
coming of darkness, my chum had decided to look 
up our horse before dark and try to make use of 
him in going to the place appointed for meeting, 
after I told him I intended to get out of there on 
the train that night. At dusk, I walked up the rail- 
road track until I came to a water tank, where I 
laid in wait for a west-bound train. Finally late at 
night one came along, which I explored and got on, 



86 THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 

entering a car at the end which was loaded with 
machinery. I stayed with this car until after day- 
light in the morning, when I concluded there was 
no need of trucking along on an old freight any 
longer, I might as well take a passenger and be off. 

"I am no refugee from justice that I should 
want no one to see me ; I am no longer in company 
destined to lead to trouble ; I have done nothing," I 
thought, "only acted the detective in investigating 
the condition of knavery in the southwest." 

So the first town we entered and the train 
stopped, I left it, went to a barber shop, brushed up, 
thence to a hotel and got my breakfast. Here in 
my room, I took my detective credentials from my 
inside shoe-sole pocket-book and put them into my 
pocket ; and extricated my detective badge from my 
cartridge belt, and thereafter wore it on the under 
side of my vest, which thus was unobserved while 
buttoned up. I now felt free and disconnected from 
any responsibility and reflection of the clique I de- 
serted with the exception of one thing. I had left 
a letter from my father, with my right name and 
address in a budget which, through neglect, fell 
into possession of the fellow I had left. In case 
they were captured, I thought, this letter in charge 
of the authorities might be a reflection on my fair 
name before I could get a chance to explain. 

Along about midday, I took a passenger train for 
a point in south-eastern Kansas, where I changed 



THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 87 

cars for Texas, I think it was Cherryvale, Kansas. 
I arrived here a little after dark and went to a 
boarding house near the depot, which appeared to 
be newly built. At least that night they had a 
musical entertainment in the parlor and the land- 
lord apologized to me for being cramped for room 
upon not having their house completed. And at an 
early hour in the night the landlord had them dis- 
missed and turned the room over to me. But I 
was in no hurry, for their entertainment was high 
ly interesting. I remember, I said audibly to my- 
self, "One night I take lodging in a cavern amid a 
pack mi howling coyotes, and next night in a 
parlor amid royalists ?" The following day I took 
the train for Dallas, Texas. Here, wishing some- 
time to rest and reconsider my plans, I walked 
out about four miles southwest and took up board 
with a young man by the name of Combs. He was 
living on his father's farm and ranch, who was 
himself practicing law and living in Dallas. I 
gave my name to these people as Markham. While 
here, I took frequent walks over the pastures for 
recreation, especially across the Crockeral ranch 
to their Artesian well, and in the direction of Eagle- 
ford to the railroad. I told the young man and his 
wife, when I took up board with them, that I had 
been clerking in a store and wanted to be in the 
country awhile to recruit up. But just before leav- 
ing I showed the young man my detective badge 



88 THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 

when he said he suspicioned that. From this place 
I took the train directly for Galveston for the ex- 
press purpose of doing detective service among pi- 
rates and enter a seafaring life. 

For some time, I knew that pirates were the 
scourge of the sea about the Sooloo Isles, and for- 
merly the small islands of Tonquil and Balaquini; 
but I had now ascertained the probability of a 
band having their temporary haunts at Keywest, 
Keywest Island, a more convenient location. In 
view of this, I sailed for Keywest Island. Arriv- 
ing here I worked several days at a tobacco fac- 
tory to get acquainted with the boys and learn the 
nature of the town ; thence I associated with fisher- 
men and tradesmen some, and frequented places of 
resort, especially gambling joints, and in the mean- 
while I posed as an engineer on a steamboat and en- 
quired for a position. After a sojournment in 
this way less than a month, I secured a position 
as an engineer on a trading vessel on somewhat a 
mysterious mission, which however, only made the 
position more enviable. 

"I need not remain in their service any length of 
time," I said to myself, "unless it is what I want/' 

But they proved to be smugglers and pirates and 
sailed as traders and fishermen merely as a means 
of disguise. Their vessel was modeled after the 
yachting kind and of a form intended rather for 
racing than for transportation. While it was 



THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 89 

properly a steamboat, it was also provided with 
sails to assist in navigation when in want of extra 
speed, or to take the place of steam navigation in 
case of failure of the latter. 

In number, at this place, the crew consisted of 
six persons, five men and a woman ; the woman be- 
ing claimed by the captain as his wife. Though 
at times very ignorant looking negro servants 
were employed by the crew. 

From the fact that it is merely the history of 
myself, I am writing, expediency compels me in 
refraining from mentioning names. 

Keywest, at this time, was only a town of ordi- 
nary size, supported by its tobacco factory and 
through virtue of its marine advantages. The most 
impressive of my recollections are, the cannons in 
plain view at a short distance on the hill, having 
pointed down at us from the fort as we passed up 
channel to the town, and a dingy looking little 
post-office building up in town with a myraid of 
names and figures cut and written on the upright 
posts supporting the porch, as though by a floating 
population who wished to leave tokens of their 
visits. 



90 THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 



CHAPTER IX. 

Everything arranged, one night about midnight 
the hoy went steaming out the northern harbor, 
headed for the north along the western coast of 
Florida. 

The unintelligible orders to a beginner and the 
intermingling of strange cries and strange actions, 
so common among sailors, I at once noticed, were 
for the most part omitted by the crew. But all 
orders were given and executed in the simplest 
form and most silent methods. The true, hoarse 
boatswain call "A-a-all ha-a-a-nds! up Anchor, 
a-ho-oy!" was executed rather by gestures and sig- 
nals than by words. 

Upon leaving the island, under a peculiar impulse, 
I stepped on deck and viewed the surroundings. 
In the rear, the island was gradually disappearing 
from the dim and misty sky light; ahead rested 
the dark night shades of the sea emitting now and 
then an angry looking billow which surged forth 
with the vessel upon its bosom, giving to one a 
feeling as if his existence was melting within him ; 
and on the right glimmered in the moonlight the 



THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 91 

remains of a wrecked ship as we swept by. In the 
heavens The Dipper stood out in bold relief upon 
his apparent journey around the north star, in- 
dicative of a time after midnight hours; while the 
Pleiades twinkled like diamonds in the heavens 
to the west. Here, as I returned to duty, I again 
had the queerest feelings. Strange thoughts kept 
evolving, when the following verse of poetry came 
to my mind: 

Night is the time to watch; 

On the ocean's dark expanse, 

To hail the pleiades, or catch 
The full moon's earliest glance, 

That brings unto the home-sick mind 
All we have loved and left behind. 
"I am now with a gang of sea-robbers/' I 
thought, "and if they should discover me a spy 
they could dispatch me without a moment's warn- 
ing while on duty, and throw me overboard with 
as little concern as though a cur." "If on land," 
I thought, "I could spring from my captors into the 
brush and risk getting shot, but where could I 
here spring for safety? Into the sea, to a watery 
grave — that is all." Oh, my native country! O, 
my sister, my father, my brother! Will I ever 
see them again?" I thought. 

But that irrepressible spirit of adventure and 
enterprise again arose, when I won my composure 
and new courage. "Discovering me a spy comes 



92 THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 

before killing," I again thought, " and before it 
comes to that I have sense enough to find it out 
and be on my guard, when they must be able 
to handle guns better than I think they can. My 
dejection thus relieved by a rekindling of my spirits, 
I turned my thoughts to a survey of my conditions 
to avail myself of the best interests they afifordeci, 
as we passed on. 

It was a bay on the western coast of Florida, 
they were under headway, the surrounding country 
of which having been sparsely settled, attended with 
now and then a town or village; thus well suited 
for an invasion of sea-robbers. This bay we 
reached in the fore-part of the night afterwards, 
as we laid over during the following day to avoid 
making ourselves any more conspicuous than we 
could help. At daylight in the morning orders 
were given to move shoreward to explore the coast 
for a landing place, secluded as much as possible, 
both from shore and from any vessel that might 
pass. So moving on slowly we shortly came 
to a slough-like channel which was more or 
less walled from observation by jungles of 
vegetation. Turning into the channel, we 
went as far as we could without stranding 
when the captain gave orders to anchor. Then, 
addressing me he said : "Let the steam die down 
now, but add a little fuel occasionally to hold fire; 
so it will not take long to fire up when we get 



THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 93 

ready to start.' ' He also added that after break- 
fast his other men would go on shore to explore 
the country and kill game, as this was a wilderness 
and game abounded ; and that I could assist him at 
odd times fishing. 

After breakfast, the four men with a Winchester 
apiece and well equipped with cartridges, struck 
off in a small boat for shore. This was a small 
boat they carried along in the vessel for that pur- 
pose. The day aboard the vessel was quietly 
passed — nothing to break the monotony of the 
surging and dashing waves against the hull, ex- 
cept an occasional sputter .of fish. 

Supper was early prepared and awaited the other 
men, who came in before dark, bringing along 
considerable game. Orders were here given me 
to get up steam to start promptly by twilight. So 
after a repast on fish caught during the day and 
other nourishments, and after darkness was be- 
ginning to environ us, we hove anchor, and the 
vessel again steamed northward — this time to 
reach their place of destination. 

Nothing unusual occurred during this passage 
except all the crew but the pilot and myself, were 
constantly in secret council of conversation; at 
times so enthusiastic that they would burst forth 
with expressions not at all compatible to civility in 
the presence of a lady. 

Arriving in the vicinity of a bay, couple miles 



94 THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 

from a town, the captain gave orders to pilot 
towards the shore, when shortly he called for an- 
chor. Here, he came to me and said in a calm 
tone: "All of us except my wife and her cousin 
are now going on shore on a short expedition, and 
the orders are these, — oil up the engine, then in- 
stead of the usual amount of steam have so much 
over (pointing to the index) promptly by two o'clock 
to-night, and ready in an instant's warning to pull 
out. If you fail to do this on time, your body will 
be riddled with bullets and cast into the sea. This 
is the law of our crew — remember." Then the 
four men pulled off towards shore in the hand 
boat, well armed with six shooters, and taking 
along a lock and chain. 

The time in the darkness aboard the steamer 
passed slowly on, hours seemed ages. Two o'clock 
came and still no signs which bespoke of the re- 
turn of the marauders. But observant to orders, 
promptly at the time the index pointed a little past 
the amount of steam and every thing was ready to 
steam forth at orders of the captain. 

Soon, a shrill whistle in the direction of the 
shore broke the stillness of the night. It was a 
signal of the returning sea-men. Here, the cap- 
tain's wife took a small whistle from her pocket 
and also gave a couple whifs indicative of our lo- 
cation aboard the steamer. Then, came pulling to the 



THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 95 

vessel the four men in their hand boat with large 
budgets and sacks of treasures. After several 
speedy trips to the shore and return for the balance 
of their goods, the captain gave orders to pull out 
for the gulch in which we harbored the previous 
day. 

"Throw wide open the throttle, let on all the 
steam, and put us through/' he cried to me. "Steer 
us straight," he shouted to the pilot, "keep in deep 
water and stay clear of shoals." 

On and over the bosom of the boisterous waters 
we glided, now striding down the declivity of a 
surging billow, then plunging through another with 
waters gushing by, over and around us, and sub- 
merged at times long enough to be suffocating — 
on and on we went, leaving behind us a foamy trail- 
way as a token of the vessel's speed and good work 
of the propeller by its breaking the water into spray 
and foam; when ere the morning daylight, we 
steamed into our channel of destination. Here 
we anchored and took breakfast. 

After breakfast, the captain turned to me and 
said: "You may take a Winchester, get into the 
boat, and go on shore and hunt, and kill us 
some fresh meat, if you wish. We will see to your 
duty on board to-day. As soon as we feel safe 
you will do, we will give you the ropes and have 
you as a member of our crew. Be back by four 



9 6 THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 

o'clock or a little before, so as to be here in good 
season; will pull out promptly at dark." 

Here, the captain handed over to me a gold 
watch and chain (for apparently they had plenty of 
them), saying, "take this, it will assist you in get- 
ting back on time. ,, "But let me warn you," he 
continued, "when you return, do so by yourself, 
and should you make your appearance on shore in 
the presence of any one, or should cause it to be 
known that there are persons aboard a vessel 
here, we'll kill you on first sight — remember." 

"Yes, but I beg your pardon," said I, "I would 
like at least a box of cartridges, for it will take a 
dozen shots for such a marksmen as I to hit some- 
thing." 

"Take all you want," said the captain, "for we've 
plenty." 

It was but a short time till I had rowed to 
shore, locked my boat, and was skampering up the 
hill with my Winchester in hand. "Up on yonder 
sand hill under that palmetto FU hasten and take 
a sleep and think of the times," I here said to my- 
self as I went on. 

Under this palmetto I laid down, and in a few 
minutes was fast asleep, for night before I never 
slept. Sleeping for some time, I was awakened by 
several large fowls, like eagles or condors hover- 
ing over and about me, as though they had about 
resolved to confiscate my person to their fancy. 



THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 97 

Here, I grabbed up my Winchester, swung it around 
and fired a couple successive shots, when a bird of 
prey fell dead to the ground. 

"There !" I cried, "I guess the next time you will 
let me sleep." 

Laying down again, I slept until nearly midday, 
when I got up and wandered onward some further, 
when I ran across a flock of wild turkeys and 
charged on them, killing two choice ones. "Well," 
I now said, "I've all the game I can pack to my 
boat, Til now gather up some targets and take a 
drill in markmanship." Here I gathered up small 
palmetto balls, pitched them into the air, and shot 
them into fragments before they fell to the ground. 
I then pitched pebbles into the air and turned them 
into dust by the bullets fired from my gun, and 
sometimes shooting three and four times at pieces 
before they would fall to the ground; such as I 
used to do after I returned to Texas among 
my friends, and such as struck the pirates with sur- 
prise when they learned of it. 

I now sat under a shade tree and commenced 
thinking and conjecturing over the events, and 
condition of things. "Walton is the man," I 
thought, "it is no one but Brooks, or his alias; he 
suits the description outright. It is he ! It is he !" 
I said to myself. "But those other fellows, who 
are they? They are somebody," I thought; 
"though I'm afraid they are experts, too shrewd 



98 THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 

ever to have been caught up wtth. A set of artis 
tic marauders of whom there is no clue, nor any 
reward even if captured. But this Brooks ! There 
is no way to capture him unless getting him away 
from the other men, and how can I expect to get 
him out by himself until I win the confidence of the 
crew and get to be a member of the gang, as they 
are constantly watching and guarding me," I 
thought. 

"And it looks too, as though this is not all the 
gang ; for how could they have gotten such a cargo 
of things in a half night's time, had they not been 
assisted by men with whom they had previous un- 
derstanding/' I again thought. "But I must be 
returning towards my landing, or I will be late 
getting back with my luggage," I said to myself, 
as I got up and threw my turkeys with their legs 
tied together over one shoulder and my Winchester 
on the other and started off. 

Tired, hungry and thirsty, I rowed to the vessel, 
first giving the usual signal of the peculiar whistle. 

"Hello!" cried the captain, "you killed us some 
fowls, I see." 

"Yes, I did succeed in killing a couple of turkeys, 
but you will not find many cartridges brought 
back over it though," said I. 

"O, that is allright," said the captain, "I regard 
a few cartridges nothing compared to a pair of 



THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 99 

such nice turkeys as these," taking them and lift- 
ing them up for the rest to see. 

After an early supper, of which I partook with 
relish, the captain turned to me and spoke as fol- 
lows: "Everything is ready to pull out, only we 
are awaiting the approach of darkness. You at- 
tend to the engine until ten o'clock, then you may 
have the balance of the night for sleep ; some of us 
slept part of the day, so we will see to your duty. 
We shall sail blind and quite slow to-night and far 
seaward and beyond the regular passage way, so 

I as to go by Keywest, and a couple of steamboats 
we must pass, unobserved. Havana is our next 
place of destination. Here we shall do some trad- 
ing; expect to arrive there late to-morrow after- 
noon." 

I "A-a-11 ha-a-a-nds! up anchor, a-ho-oy!" cried 
the captain as the darkness was beginning to over- 
shadow us in a tone that could be only heard on 
board the vessel and rather as a slur on the true call 
of a boatswain; when the propellers began a slow 
but powerful revolution that put the water around 
astir in a succession of undulations and gurgling 

I whirlpools and sea foam as the vessel began mov- 
ing towards the sea. 

As the sun arose next morning, I awoke from 

' my night's repose to find ourselves sailing south- 

! ward at a point southwest of Keywest Island and 

LOFC. 



ioo THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 

northwest of Havana, about three-quarters of a 
day's sail from the latter city. 

Shortly, going on duty again, the rest all but 
the pilot, indulged in card playing, and apparently 
gambling, as several of the men at different times 
got up and made the air ring with slurs and curses 
in expression of their feelings. Just before arriv- 
ing in Havana, we met a vessel to whom they sold 
some fresh fish, which we had caught; also done 
some trading with them. The captain, here, took 
particular pains to inform them that while we were 
explorers, we also did some trading and made some- 
thing in this way as we went along. Arriving at 
Havana and effecting a reception at the regular 
port as traders, the captain at once said to me: 
"I have nothing for you to do until to-morrow now, 
and you can consider yourself at leisure; but I 
will pay you for your time. You can now take 
in the city until noon to-morrow; then I demand 
your presence. And as you are a stranger in the 
city, Proell, which name I will give him, can go 
with you and show you about ; he is also at leisure 
at the present/' he continued. Here he pulled 
his hand from his pocket with a hand full of gold 
coins, and handed me several saying, "You may 
need money before you get back, take this; I'll 
charge it towards your wages." 

At this juncture, Proell stepped forward and 
spoke in favorable terms for us to go to the city 



THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 101 

together and take in the sights, which I accepted. 

Walking away together from the vessel, I thought 
to myself: "Yes, I see through it all; you want my 
absence so you can get your goods from those 
rooms you kept locked, so as to keep me in sus- 
pense as much as possible; and now send Proell 
along to watch over me, that I will not prove false 
and report you — that is it" 

Proell was evidently well acquainted in the city; 
for he well knew the way to the main part, and 
could readily inform me of the names and particu- 
lars of prominent structures and give explanation 
on things generally. 

"That is an old cathedral," he said pointing to a 
large structure built of coarse grayish stone, "and 
is the building in which the remains of Columbus 
were deposited years ago." 

Turning down a narrow avenue, apparently from 
American quarters, a well dressed female turned 
a corner and went tripping on ahead, when shortly 
she dropped a handkerchief. 

"There!" says Proell, "the damsel dropped a 
handkerchief." 

"Call her," says I. 

"Oh, no," says Proell, "you don't understand, 
let's examine it first." 

Here Proell picked it up, and turning down the 
corner, showed the number of her street and resi- 
dence in plain figures. 



102 THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 

"The meaning of this is," he said, "whoever 
finds this handkerchief in case it's lost, will be com- 
plimented for his courtesy if he returns it to the 
owner living at this place. Now, if we are green- 
horns we'll call her; if we are up to the times we'll 
return it later on and receive the compliment; what 
do you say?" he continued. 

"Suit yourself; live and learn is my motto," I said. 

Taking another direction here we went to the 
suburbs of the city ; then visited the principal places 
of resort — cafes and theaters. 

"But these prisons, what do they want so many 
of them for, and when will we get to the suburbs?" 
I stopped and queried. 

"Ho! you are in the suburbs now," replied Pro- 
ell. "These are no prisons, this is the way they 
build their houses — the doors and windows de- 
fended by strong iron gratings," he continued. 

Indeed, much of its style of architecture I found, 
belongs to the medieval period. Then we found 
the streets narrow, so narrow that two broad dray 
wagons could barely pass, and into some of which 
the sun can never shine, causing dampness the 
year around, especially during the rainy season. 
In consequence of these conditions, attended with 
filth, is there any wonder of the past existence 
of virulent cesspools for breeding such diseases as 
yellow fever. 

Wandering about for a time, Proell jerked out 



THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 103 

a gold watch swung to a beautiful chain with a 
diamond charm dangling at its end, and said, "It's 
now nine o'clock, we better be returning the hand- 
kerchief, hadn't we?" 

"Yes," I said with a laugh. "If you expect to re- 
ceive that compliment." 

So turning in the direction of the street marked 
on the corner, we groped our way from lamp-post 
to lamp-post with tallow-candle lanterns suspended 
on each, and from corner to corner, till finally we 
reached the residence with the same number on 
the handkerchief showing clearly on the door from 
the light shining within. 

Proell, taking the lead, he stepped to the door, 
and rang the bell. A tall, swarthy and stalwart 
appearing negro came to the door. 

"Going along near Main street," said Proell, 
"we picked up a lady's handkerchief with number 
of street and residence ; and thought we would call 
and return it." 

"Yesher me hard the young lady speak of it," 
said the negro, as though with a mouth full of mush, 
"Ise tell her." 

Here, the damsel came to the door and gave 
thanks in refined terms of eulogy for our kindness 
and civility; and ushered us into the parlor in the 
presence of an elderly lady and another younger 
one. 

Although, everything looked neat and orderly, 



104 THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 

and the surroundings inviting and pleasant, for 
reasons unknown (laying it somewhat to being 
among a strange people and in a strange country 
and city), I did not feel at ease; sensations of un- 
pleasant feelings came rolling up from within me, 
as much as to say something was not right. 

"What kind of an outfit is this?" I thought to 
myself, as one of the damsels was entertaining 
me with their albums, while the rest were bursting 
with acclamations of jollity on matters to them- 
selves. Are they some relatives of this Proell, 
in whose domicile he's inveigled me, or what? And 
if so, what can this inveiglement be for?" 

So, prompted by feelings of uneasiness, at a late 
hour, I pulled out my watch and turning to Proell 
said, as I arose, "I beg your pardon, Mr. Proell, if 
you are no better acquainted in the city as to find- 
ing a hotel for the night than I am, I consider it 
prudent to take our leave ; or if it pleases your honor, 
of course, stay longer, but you must excuse me." 

Here, the elderly female bursted forth with some- 
what forced surprise, before I had the last word 
out of my mouth: "Why Monsieur! Hotel for 
the night ? You are now in a boarding house, and 
feel assured that you can be as well provided for 
as in any hotel in the city, and too at a less cost! 
Be seated; stay here as well as any place!" 

Somewhat struck with consternation, I again 
seated myself; whereupon Proell spoke and said: 



THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 105 

"We shall stay with much pleasure. But Mr. Dool- 
ing," he continued, for this is the name I was then 
going under, "you must not go to abandon me or 
we'll be on terms that might not be well for our 
health/' 

"Yes, assuredly," said I, "not knowing the situa- 
tion, I beg to apologise for my assertion." 

Here, I thought to myself, as I pretended to 
feast my eyes over some relics on the table: 
"Strange maneuvers, but I see nothing else only 
reconcile myself and await results; for I see still 
plainer, now, that it has been premeditated between 
Proell and the crew, that he should not allow my 
escape from his accompaniment without a 
struggle." 

All along, I noticed the females take sly glances at 
the stylish appearance and costly apparels of their 
guests, especially at Prodi's valuable jewelry, as 
though to determine the probability of our financial 
possessions, which proved thereafter to be the case. 

At an hour about midnight, the elderly female 
courteously impressed us of it being bed time, and 
that their colored servant would light us to our 
room. Owing to my feeling of uneasiness and 
Prodi's apparent inclination for more familarity 
with one of the damsels, we consented rather re- 
luctantly. As the negro servant lighted us through 
a narrow hallway to an ante-room beyond, I no- 
ticed the doors being of massive structure, evidently 



106 THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 

intended for great strength, and for some special 
purpose; but never intimated that anything came 
under my observation, or that anything had hap- 
pened which gave vent to my feelings. Shortly, 
lying in bed, I was seriously thinking over the mys- 
tified lodging place we had entered, when Proell 
spoke in a low tone and said : "Dooling, what do 
those heavy doors leading to our room mean ? The 
doors to the other rooms are not of this kind. And 
those heavy window shutters, and that outside bolt 
to our door I noticed as we came in — what is this 
all for? And then, those damsels had a lacking in 
their sociability and conduct too. I tell you, the 
more I think over the matter, the more I'm con- 
vinced that we are to be unfavorably dealt with." 

"I noticed all this," said I, "and it gave me feel- 
ing of uneasiness I can't explain, although I never 
said anything." Here, getting up and going to the 
door, I returned and said: "Yes, and the door is 
bolted on the outside now." 

Proell, satisfied of this fact by seeing for him- 
self, he said : "It's settled, we are into it. I wish 
the captain was with me, we would make it so un- 
comfortable for them, they would never have an- 
other chance for such a treacherous conduct." 

"We must take things as they are," said I. "My 
remedy is to take some of the bedding and sleep 
on the floor under the bed. This will give us the 
advantage of being wakened before we are located 



THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 107 

in case of intruders.' ' Both acquiescing, with few 
spreads, we here made a bed and went to sleep to 
be woke up by some unwelcome visitors should in- 
dications prove to be correct ; at the same time hav- 
ing a quilt on top of the bed with our coats folded 
and covered over to deceive them as much as pos- 
sible upon their approach. 

Sleeping unmolested until a late hour, we were 
suddenly awakened at the same time by a jolting 
of our pallet. Grabbing our six-shooters we 
watched from under the bed towards the door to 
discover the cause which awakened us, when to 
our astonishment, we saw the floor upon which 
we had our pallet was being pushed upwards. In 
an instant we understood the situation. There was 
a trap door in the floor under the bed through 
which the cut-throats were trying to force an en- 
trance. Here, we quietly took a position in the 
corner of the opposite side of the room, six-shooters 
in hand, at the same time adjusting our clothing as 
we watched in the direction of the bed for the in- 
truders. Presently, there peered from under the 
bed, the dusky negro seen before, armed with a 
cudgel in one hand and a large knife in the other, 
followed closely behind by the form of a female with 
a dark lantern. The negro was not more than 
standing erect with his eyes set on the bed, when 
a number of simultaneous shots rang out on the 
stillness of the night, when the negro fell dead on 



108 THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 

the floor. The lantern being left lying close to 
the bed, owing to the confusion of the fleeing fe- 
male, I picked it up and reflected the light down 
the trap door, when Proell rolled the dead negro 
off, who fell to the bottom with a thud. 

"There," I ejaculated, "It's shallow enough for 
us to jump; now is the time for our escape." So 
saying, we both jumped down the trap door on a 
floor beneath, when Proell shot at several fleeing 
forms as we ran out through the open doors into 
the alley. 

"I just shot the lamp out of her hands, as it is 
against my religion to kill any of the fairer sex," 
said Proell in a low tone, as we were leisurely glid- 
ing out of sight down the back alley. 

Entering another alley, we stopped in the dark- 
ness and took a hurried consultation ; when we con- 
cluded to pull for our vessel for protection, as we 
feared through misrepresentation of things, the 
authorities might give us trouble. Arriving at the 
vessel, though with some difficulty and fatigue at 
daylight, Proell gave his signal when the captain 
opened up, and in terms of irreligious tenor in- 
quired what this meant. From the captain's ac- 
tion at first, it was apparent he thought that their 
man Dooling had given trouble ; but it was only 
a moment until Proell had him understand the 
situation, when he bade us come in. 

After breakfast, the captain turned and said ; 



THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 109 

"You must both not be seen in the city to-day, else 
you might cause us trouble; and besides change 
your clothing and appearance while aboard the 
steamer.' ' I here took a side berth and devoted the 
forenoon to sleep and meditation. Several times 
1 was awakened by a rumbling noise and slight osci- 
lations of the vessel, when afterwards everything 
appeared to be quiet. From this, I inferred that 
the crew had just finished moving out their goods. 
At noon, I returned to the cabinet to find everything 
quiet, and no one present except the captain's wife 
and her cousin, the rest of the crew apparently were 
off on a secret mission. After taking dinner, the 
balance of the day, until the captain made his ap- 
pearance, we busied ourselves viewing objects 
through a telescope. 

Upon the captain's return, he ordered me to get 
up steam; saying we would pull to a place further 
west of the city, a more out of the way place. 

In this harbor we tarried several days, after 
which the crew again pulled northward in quest of 
new fields for plunder and adventure. 

Nothing of much note occurred while here in the 
harbor. Accompanied by one and two of the 
crew we were left in charge of the vessel from 
time to time while the rest were off on trips of secret 
missions. 



THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 



CHAPTER X. 

Saturday morning following, the sun rose and 
shone with unusual brilliancy, the air felt soft and 
sultry and a gentle sea breeze blew from the west, 
while the billows rolled smoothly forth and surged 
with monotony on the sides of the vessel. This was 
the morning we bid farewell to Spanish Havana 
and set sail to visit American soil. 

But the beautiful morning did not last. It was 
but a short time after we set sail till a density of 
clouds began to environ us. 

"The pleasant weather of the morning must have 
been a weather breeder," I remarked as I went on 
deck where the captain stood gazing abroad. 

"Yes," said he, "and I wish we were back to 
shore; for I'd about as soon be in hades as out in 
the Gulf in a storm." 

The clouds grew thicker and thicker, and the 
wind began to rage and the billows roll higher and 
higher! The surroundings looked wild! The 
very elements seemed at war with each other ! The 
wind howled and moaned, and screamed, and the 
billows surged, splashed, and sputtered; and the 
inky clouds let down sheets of rain, and made the 



THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER in 

sky blacker in its darkness. Ever and again a 
jagged gleam would split the heavens with a blind- 
ing flash, and would be followed by a rumbling 
crash that shook the very sea. Then the sky be- 
came dark again and the wind settled down with a 
dreary moan. 

At times the vessel appeared to be sailing under 
water, as it were; of a sudden it would turn almost 
on its sides and then nearly on its ends, hurling 
us one way and then another over the floor. 

But through it all, I knew I had to remain on 
duty by my engine at a risk of being shot as a 
coward and a traitor. The harder the wind would 
rage, and the higher and more terrific the billows 
would surge upon us only the more steam I would 
turn on to propel the vessel onward and keep it 
erect. While, at the same time, I won the confi- 
dence of the pilot, who steered according to my 
orders and instruction. 

Finally the storm abating, the captain came to 
me and asked my hand. 

"You acted with great presence of mind," he 
said, "and I heartily congratulate you. Had it 
not have been for your attendance to duty and judg- 
ment, no telling, the monsters of the sea might now 
be feeding on our bodies." 

Jacksonville, Florida, was our next place of desti- 
nation. This place we reached about three days 
later, having stopped a day at Key West for coal. 



ii2 THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 

Arriving at the mouth of the St. John's river, I 
was astonished to find a party with a couple of tug 
boats awaiting us; one female in the party. 

"What kind of a party is this/' thought I, as 
they were greeting one another, and shaking hands. 
"Well, this explains the meaning of that letter I 
found and read, which I could not understand. A 
meeting effected through correspondence. Yes, 
I see through it now. But some of the men ap- 
pear to be strangers to the crew. Oh, I see now; 
they are running the tug boats, and are merely 
hired by the two spokesmen (who are members of 
the gang) to do some transportation for them." 

The St. John's river is too rocky from the coast 
to Jacksonville for navigation, hence their meeting 
the vessel on the coast with tug-boats. 

From the tug-boats, they at once packed into 
the vessel, box after box, w r hat afterwards proved 
to be different kinds of groceries. They also had 
several boxes of some kind of dry goods. As soon 
as the tug-boats were unloaded, two of the men 
together with the female boarded the vessel with 
the crew, when we set sail for the city of Savannah. 

Before arriving at Savannah, the two strangers 
were set on shore in the hand boat, where they 
again made their disappearance. We then sailed 
up the river to the city. In a short time, here, the 
vessel was unloaded; the goods transferred to 
quarters, I knew not where. As soon as the vessel 



THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 113 

was unloaded, the captain and his wife, her cousin, 
the strange female, and myself, under orders of 
the captain went steaming down the river towards 
the ocean, for a destination unknown to me at 
the time; Proell and two others being left behind. 
The female who just appeared among the crew, 
claimed to be a niece of the captain's wife. 

Turning north at the mouth of the river Savan- 
nah, we passed a signal bell (a buoy in the form of 
a belfry with a bell suspended therein anchored to 
serve as a guide to navigators), whose unaccus- 
tomed doleful sound again rent my feelings. As one 
wave after another would jostle it heavenward, 
ding, a-ling, a-dinging, ding it would go. 

"Oh, why am I living such a life!" I thought, 
"with my whereabouts unknown to my kindred." 
What can they think has become of me! O God! 
forgive me that I should thus desert my relatives. 
But this must be my lot. Ay, this is my nature, for 
how else could I be thus engaged ! Why then not be 
cheerful! O, to God that I could cry; for better, I 
then might feel! But cry I cannot, the last tear I 
shed was at my mother's grave when an urchin. 

The captain here approaching, I instantly banished 
every vestige of melancholy appearance and re- 
sumed my composure. For with the ability to con- 
trol myself thus, was I specially gifted. Yes, al- 
though prostrated in feelings at times, while reflect- 



ii4 THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 






ing on former social and domestic ties, when it came 
to the fulfillment of the pursuances peculiar to my- 
self, such feelings would be suppressed by a rekind- 
ling of my spirits as matters of insignificance. 

"We shall sail about a day northward to an old 
port formerly a slave port," said the captain, 
"where we will be at leisure for a time, and will 
give you a chance to join our crew and be a partner. 
Under those terms you are required to be on duty 
on the vessel no more than the rest of us — each 
one will take his turn in this, however do work to 
which we are best suited." 

Pleased with the idea of winning the confidence 
of the gang, and with the probability of being with 
the man more I was trying to overshadow, I an- 
swered : "It goes ; and I think you will not regret 
it after making me a member, for you will find me a 
wrestler." 

It was not until the following day when we 
reached the place the captain had just mentioned. It 
was an out of the way place, and the coast not ac- 
cessible with the vessel ; thus having been obliged to 
anchor some distance from the shore. The sur- 
rounding was of romantic appearance, and well 
suited as a rendezvous for lawbreakers and refug- 
ees. Some distance off, though not in sight, there 
was a settlement. 

"We'll go on shore and hunt the town and see 
what we can find," said the captain to me, as we got 






THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 115 



up from the breakfast table next morning. Turn- 
ing to the women he said : "We'll not be gone long- 
er than noon or shortly thereafter. Be ready then, 
and if a rig can be gotten we'll take a ride in the 
country. ,, 

Taking along one Winchester and each a pistol, 
we pulled out for shore, when we struck off on 
foot. The captain introduced himself to the coun- 
trymen as a dealer in timber and lumber; stating 
that he expected to explore the country about for a 
week or so, and see what he can do in his line. 

Procuring a rig, though with some difficulty, we 
rode out and took a lay of the country. On this 
trip the captain told me many of their secrets — the 
number of their gang, that he was native born but 
that the others were nearly all foreigners, what they 
were doing at Savannah, the time he expected them 
to return, etc. ; and when they could initiate me as 
one of their number. He also told me that whether 
they were all under assumed names or not, he would 
advise me to take another name in case of any mis- 
hap. 

About the time the captain had told the women 
he would return, we drove to shore in sight of the 
vessel, where we were hailed by a couple of the 
crew and carried on board in their hand-boat. After 
refreshments, the captain and the two women took 
their departure for a ride in the country, leaving me 
and his wife's cousin by ourselves. 



u6 THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 

"Oh, why is this man left alone with me not the 
man of the crew who suits the description of one 
in my rogues vocabulary ?" thought I, as I took a 
newspaper and seated myself on deck in the breeze. 
"Was it he, I would arrest him in a minute, and 
hurry him to the authorities before he realized his 
situation. I'd give the crew a lesson they would not 
forget very soon ! O, why is it not he !" 

The captain and his two heroines returned late 
in the evening, when I and the man left with me 
took charge of the rig ; the captain having made ar- 
rangements to use it for a week. Nothing but a 
monotony of the days proceedings occurred till the 
balance of the crew from Savannah returned, which 
was one night in the course of a few days after our 
last landing. 

"I shall ride across the country to the cross-roads 
to pilot the boys in," said the captain in the after- 
noon, as he got up from a siesta, evidently taken in 
view of the trip. "You can look for us any time 
after two hours ride from dark; have supper 
ready," he continued when he took his leave. 

Patiently waiting on board the vessel amid the 
darkness on the sea, a keen whistle was finally 
heard. "It is them/' said one. "Yes, said my part- 
ner, when he alighted on his feet, took the boat and 
met them on the shore, leaving me on board the 
vessel with the females. It was but a short time 
until all the seafarers were on board, greeting one 



THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 117 

another and telling their experiences. 

After supper, the captain, confronting his fellow 
adventurers, reiterated the object for all collecting 
in — to initiate Dooling as a member of the crew, 
and devise plans to muster up a cargo of liquor 
from the hills. 

"This is desperate swearing for an honest man to 
do," I thought once when I nearly lost my self pos- 
session during the initiation. "But this isn't bind- 
ing among a company of cutthroats," I again 
thought after reflection. 

It was only a short time thereafter and nearing 
the hour of mid-night, when the captain spoke and 
said : "The plans are now laid and agreed upon, so 
it is well to disperse in order that those who leave 
will not be seen by the countrymen in the morning 
and arouse suspicion. Dooling and Proell will re- 
main with me, and at the time set we will all meet 
at the cross-roads." 

"Dooling, to what will you change your name," 
continued the captain, "it is well for all to know 
this, so we make no mistake." 

"I am not particular what name, Connard, I 
guess we can all remember well," said I. 

"Yes," said the captain, "Connard, that will an- 
swer splendidly, Con for short is just the thing. 
All remember now, this is Con. Call him never by 
any other name." 

The captain, his cousin, two women, Proell and 



n8 THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 

myself remained on board the vessel for the night, 
while the rest were set on shore to ride away in the 
darkness to places of rendezvous suited to their 
kind. 

The day after, at dark, was the time set for our 
meeting at the cross-roads to take a trip into the 
hills after a caravan of wild-cat liquor. In the after- 
noon of this day, the captain arose from sleep and 
said: "Proell and Con get ready, for we must 
shortly be on our way to the hills. My cousin will 
stay with the women. We will all three go in the 
buggy until we get into the country a ways, then 
we will exchange our buggy for some good man's 
wagon with the understanding that we have some 
hauling to do about camp for a couple days. We 
can ride in a wagon and have a wagon to bring a 
load back in besides. You see?" 

Well armed, we rode away in the buggy about the 
middle of the afternoon. It was after several trials 
that we succeeded in finding a farmer who had a 
wagon to spare. The exchange was made, when 
we were clattering along towards the cross-roads in 
a lumber wagon like some farmers on their way 
home from market. Coming to the cross-roads, the 
Captain stopped and said: "Well this is the place, 
but where are the boys ; it is now getting dark, and 
at least a couple should be here." Saying this, he 
took a whistle from his pocket and gave couple 



THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 119 

low whiffs, when the brush in from the road began 
to pop, and one of the men walked out. 

"We heard the wagon coming/ ' he said, "and 
thinking they were countrymen we went into, the 
brush until they passed. Our horses are some dis- 
tance from here hitched near an old road." 

Directly all the marauders had gathered to our 
side. 

"We made arrangements with the old man," said 
one, "to hustle us up couple wagons, and every 
thing is ready to load and pull out." 

"We'll drive on slow to the bend," said the cap- 
tain, and turning to the boys continued, "you get 
your horses and come along behind just in sight of 
us." 

Coming to the bend and the road leading away 
from the main one to the distillery, the Captain 
spoke and said: "Proell, you are acquainted, you 
ride ahead and see that the way is clear; we don't 
want to come in contact with any of Uncle Sam's 
boys tonight." And turning to me he said, "Con, 
you go along and get the situation, then return at 
once to this place and guard the entrance while we 
arrange and load." 

I went along and took a view of the premises and 
direction of neighboring distilleries, for there were 
probably as many as half a dozen at this time in 
these quarters. I then returned, when, affected by 
a kind of nervous impatience, I went on guard at 



120 THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 

the entrance. The night was calm and mild and the 
moon and stars were shining brightly in the cloud- 
less heavens. It was about midnight and every- 
thing in a state of quietude save the creak of insect 
and the occasional twitter of the nightingale, when 
I heard a noise up the road, as though of horses' 
hoofs, approaching. My heart leaped with joy, 
thinking they might be United States marshals or 
deputies on the alert ; for I was getting tired of the 
ruse and perpetrations of the gang and in hopes of 
being the instrumentality to bring them to justice. 

"If they are officers of the law," I thought, "I 
will divulge their plans and explain the situation, 
and we will bag the whole push without any 
trouble." 

The noise kept approaching, and it was that of 
horses' hoofs. It was a squad from up the road ap- 
proaching on horseback. Now I heard them talk- 
ing. I groped my way near the road-side amid 
some brush and tall weeds, from which place I 
could see well and over-hear the conversation. 

"She stuck to me like hot taffy to a knife blade," 
I made out one to say. 

Directly they were in full view. It was plain at 
once that they were a company of roysterers on 
their return from a party. I let them pass by, when 
I again returned to the shade of the trees where I 
could better observe and hear and be least noticed. 
The rest of the night was passed in quietude until 



THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 121 

the latter part when the lumbering of approaching 
wagons told of the coming of the smugglers with 
their liquor. 

"We have enough to supply all Egypt/' one said 
in a low tone as they lined up their wagons at the 
entrance where I was stationed. 

Arriving at the steamer, the liquor was quietly 
rolled into the hold and all outside appearance of 
smuggling removed. 

To cross the ocean to foreign lands was the next 
mission of the crew, not materially for the trans- 
portation and disposition of the liquor, I found, but 
in pursuance of new fields of exploit and plunder. 
Alexandria was our destination as I understood; 
and we were piloted to the south, skirting the Ber- 
muda, Azores and other islands. At one of these 
islands the Captain took on some empty barrels, and 
with certain chemicals adulterated the pure liquor, 
converting it into different brands of whiskey, mak- 
ing as many as three barrels out of one. At every 
opportunity he would barter it with the natives or 
sell it, and generally at high profits ; for I heard him 
remark at one time, "Getting it as we did, it is 
cheaper than stealing it." 

Contention betwixt us had now commenced brew- 
ing for some time. It was not my nature to con- 
ceal indefinitely my feelings against their vocation. 
Remarks and actions were made on my part that 
was beginning to prove to them my unmistaken in- 



122 THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 

sincerity to their cause. * I could now see that they 
kept themselves so aloof from civilization, and dis- 
played such ruse in their operations, that to try to 
form any compact with the officers of the law for 
their capture was useless. I therefore concluded to 
desert them at my first opportunity, having been 
satisfied with the adventure and experience in this 
line; but to do so without any altercation and in 
safety bore heavily upon my mind. 

The opportunity finally presented itself. We were 
cruising along the coast of the Barbary States, when 
we were hailed by an approaching ship. Our crew 
appeared suspicious but responded. Rushing to the 
side of our vessel, they came on board and com- 
menced a search. I saw that an encounter would fol- 
low. Whether our vessel was boarded by cruisers 
similar to that of our own and as pirates, or by 
whom, I know not. I knew my time for action had 
come. By the commencement of the battle, my mind 
was made up — my plans were matured. To equip a 
hand boat with necessaries, especially cartridges, 
and make my escape to shore, was the feat in which 
I was determined. It was "succeed or death." But 
no one knowing my intention, facilitated the task. 
In the midst of the encounter, I lowered a boat and 
rowed away from the opposite side of the enemy's 
vessel. I fought only in self defense and in execut- 
ing my project, regardless of my own crew or the 
new enemy. I received only a flesh wound in my 



THE M YSTERIO US TRA VELER 123 

left arm, but not severe enough to disable me. I 
knew the country ashore must be wild, and wher- 
ever inhabited, the people likely uncivilized. 

"But what difference does this make/' I thought, 
"its nothing more than what I was used to." I tar- 
ried along on and off the shore for some time, until 
I managed to take passage on a steamer going to 
Badagra, a town on the coast that was formerly 
known as the Slave Coast in Western Africa. 

Before taking the steamer for Badagra, how- 
ever, I wandered about the ruins of the old civiliza- 
tion. "I am not far from the land of pyramids and 
hieroglyphics, I will go thither for a bible lesson," 
I said. 

"I wonder if Moses was not profited by this civil- 
ization in his law-giving like Mohammed by the 
bible in his Koran," I thought, as I stood before the 
pyramids bedecked with hieroglyphics. 

"But had it not been for the wickedness of 
Joseph's brethren, how would Moses ever have got- 
ten here, and this came to pass? An outcome of 
good from evil?" I again thought. 

"And the management and putting into place 
these huge rocks, many of which thirty tons in 
weight, how was ever this performed?" I thought. 
"Were it not for similar rocks in the quarries I 
would think that they had been manufactured in 
an artistic way by transporting mortar instead of 
the rocks and then consolidating afterwards." 



I2 4 THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 

My passage to Badagra was a long and weari- 
some voyage, for the vessel was not first class ; then 
I was probably over-anxious to hasten my distance 
from the perpetrators to whom I had been catering. 



THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 125 



CHAPTER XL 

"It is like being born into a new world," I said 
to myself, as I stepped into the street in the morn- 
ing after a good night's repose in the town of Bad- 
agra. The air was soft and mild, the morning 
clear, and the sun, which was nearly vertical, hav- 
ing passed the vertical line to the south, shone pleas- 
antly ; while zephyrs played among the leaves of the 
shady palmettos and papyrus where I stood. I 
walked for some time to and fro in the shade, mus- 
ing on past events. 

"I am no longer Dooling or Con," I thought, 
"and entirely aloof from a herd of cruisers; yes, 
a free citizen." 

In taking passage on the steamer to Badagra, I 
again assumed the name of Markham, which I con- 
tinued to bear at subsequent occasions in this coun- 
try. 

Conditions here had been influenced by the Eng- 
lish, Dutch and French. Their presence seemed 
to be manifested more, however, as temporary trad- 
ers. I was there only a few days, when I joined 
an expedition of native traders into the interior of 



126 THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 

the country back of Badagra, known as Yoruba. I 
did this mainly in view of a relief from the strain 
of my previous and unusual experience, and recrea- 
tion generally. On this expedition, I took a graphic 
account of the country — its physical features, sea- 
sons, minerals and soil, vegetation, animals, natives, 
etc., and upon which I lectured after returning to 
the United States. 

One prominent feature of this country, I found, 
are mounds conical in form and terminating at 
the base to a near level as though they had been 
ground down by some mechanical device. They re- 
minded me of some of the mesas off the caprocks 
in New Mexico. 

It was during part of August and September that 
I was fortunate to be here ; this being the best time 
for traveling in these parts, as the air is cool and 
there is but little rain ; the dry season being too hot 
and frequently troublesome to find good water. 
Well equipped with fire arms, I had fine sport kill- 
ing antelope, occasionally a buffalo and a leopard, 
wild cats, eagles, and small game, such as conies, 
squirrels, guinea fowls, partridges, quails and dif- 
ferent kinds of ducks and pigeons. We also caught 
many fish, such as perch, catfish, gudgeons, and 
other strange kinds. Occasionally we had exciting 
times killing large snakes, often measuring twenty 
feet in length. These large snakes were the boa- 
constrictor and cobra de capello. 



THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 127 

The towns of the natives, which, far apart^ I 
found surrounded by clay walls in consequence of 
frequent wars in the past ; to serve as defense against 
the intruders. All the inhabitants lived in these 
towns from whence they cultivated their adjoining 
fields. The chief towns that came under my obser- 
vation were Awjaw, Ibadan, Ijaja, Offa, Ogbom- 
oshaw, and Ejigbo, any one of which contained a 
population not less that 20,000. Their houses were 
of rude construction ; the walls made of clay mortar, 
and the roofs thatched with grass. The houses of 
the King, Governor and Nobles differed only from 
the others in size. In features, the true Yorubas 
are typical negroes and distinguished by their low 
organism, their jaws being prognathous, their 
foreheads retreating, their faces larger than their 
hairy scalp, their constitution strong and vigorous, 
and are more capable of enduring fatigue and ex- 
posure to heat and the rains than foreigners. In their 
dress, they were simple and unconcerned. The fe- 
males generally wore three wrappers, two from the 
waist downward, and one over the shoulders which 
was thrown off at will without exciting either 
thought or attention. The men wore different kinds 
of trousers, and some large flowing gowns and 
wrappers. However, accustomed to clothing as they 
are, they were still immodest, and had no feeling of 
disgust. While sauntering about, I found it com- 
mon to be confronted by women dressed in na- 



128 THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 

ture's simple attire, or probably met bathing along 
the wayside perfectly undisturbed by my presence. 
Although, women in the back-woods I generally 
found timid at my first appearance, being frightened 
at the figure of a white man when not accustomed 
to them, I have seen them bolt away from me 
into the brush with the greatest consternation. 

Through the Yoruba interpreter, I found there 
were many prodigious exaggerations about the 
wild back-woods, endowing things with abnormal 
pecularities, so incredible that unless I saw it with 
my own eyes, I was slow to heed or take into ac- 
count. 

Returning again to Badagra from our expedi- 
tion, I had no set plans. I was for any place ex- 
cept where I had been. Would I have met with a 
contrivance to sail upwards, I would have been as 
likely to have gone straight up as any place — any 
thing for new adventure and experience. But 
learning of a trading vessel to set sail for Cape 
Colony, I directed my attention southward. I had 
an interview with the Captain and paid him for my 
passage, which I thought to myself was only a small 
amount for that distance. The most I can recall 
to my memory concerning this vessel or what was 
on board, I remember an elderly man, although very 
active, on board with a few head of horses ; and when 
we were nearing his place of destination he climbed 
up the top of the main mast of the vessel to look 



THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 129 

for the place. The voyage was one very quiet and 
agreeable, the weather generally serene and 
pleasant, excepting high billows approaching Cape 
Colony. The most of my time I put in reading 
and musing over matters of interest on the shady 
part of the deck, and gazing about at the surging 
billows and in direction of the horizon. I was 
now without any library or any books myself, but 
I had some writing and accounts of interest that 
I always kept in a large cloth pocket worn under 
my top shirt in my bosom, which I ever was recon- 
sidering and augmenting. There was not a book 
on board, I presume, that I did not peruse ; although 
mostly in print not of my own language, I viewed 
the drawings and pictures, especially of scientific 
works. 

The sun now shone all day from the north of us, 
which appeared strange to me that new and different 
ideas took origin in my mind astronomically. My 
mind reflected back over my former studies of 
astronomy and other scientific studies, thence for- 
ward to the incomprehensible. 

We entered several ports along our route, and 
once or twice a couple of men, formerly from the 
States, took passage for places not distant. They 
carried on their conversation in English, and I 
learned that they had settled in these parts. Al- 
though attracted by their presence, I feared to be 
inquisitive, for as ever I sought to keep my identity 



i 3 o THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 

in seclusion ; not that I felt any guilt of having done 
anything wrong, but for reasons not to jeopar- 
dize the object of my former resolutions. Even 
to disguise my nationality, instead of conversing in 
the language of my country, I done so in Dutch, 
trying as it was, for I had not practiced talking 
Dutch since my school days. 

It was not till on this voyage that it ever entered 
my mind to circumnavigate the earth. The more 
I thought of it, the more possible and practical it 
appeared to me after wandering away thus far from 
America, until I formed a determination to do so 
and before arriving at Cape Town. 

Finally, after a tedious voyage, we came to Cape 
Town amid a confused swarm of people, mostly 
English and Dutch. But I had no anxiety to linger 
here any longer than necessary, after learning that 
the British Government had recently proclaimed the 
annexation of the Transvaal to the British prov- 
inces and things not in a state of quietude, 



THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 131 



CHAPTER XII. 

"Circumnavigation of the earth/' I thought to 
myself as I was walking to and fro on the upper 
deck enjoying the pleasant sea breeze of the even- 
ing, "is not this too great an undertaking ?" "No, 
greater feats than this have I wrought, if I only 
think" came the response. "Why there is nothing 
in circumnavigating the earth but enter a steam- 
boat, sit and read newspapers, and wait until it 
gets there." I again thought, "There is Melbourne, 
Auckland and Panama to sail to from Cape Town 
and thence to the States, that's all and one has gone 
the rounds." 

Conceiving thus, I immediately began making ar- 
rangements for the voyage. "But what if my 
means should run out before I make the rounds in 
way of expenses and the necessary extravagance 
in that fandango society," came into my mind. 

"Well, I will have to do as I used to when a 
school boy, fall back and peel potatoes or something 
to pay my fare," I again thought. 

"But a passport," I thought to myself, "I must 
see about one of those." 



132 THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 

"How can you expect to get a passport here and 
you claim to be an American citizen," said one 
apparently of authority, when another one speak- 
ing said, "Passports are nothing but a matter of 
formality anyway, and no longer obligatory; and 
many times serve only to discommode honest peo- 
ple and aid the flight of rogues." 

In a short time I got off on a Melbourne steamer 
without but little delay, and we were again out at 
sea. 

There was now no landing place until we came 
to Melbourne a distance of about three thousand 
miles from Cape Town. Off the shore a ways, the 
ship rolled heavy, as the sea was rough, at times 
the billows swelled tremendously and looked like 
mountains. The water leaped against the ship, 
curling and foaming with a loud roar, mingled with 
a sound of dashing and splashing. 

"This is too boisterous, even to look out," I 
said one day as I walked back into the cabin and 
took a seat by a table upon which I noticed a deck 
of cards and dominoes. Having read and studied 
the greater part of the day my mind needed rest. 
I took up the cards and nodded to some half-breed 
native of these parts standing near by, who I no- 
ticed playing before to come and join me. Not able 
to talk his language, I dealt out a hand. He took 
it up approvingly by nodding his head, when a pan- 
tonine though interesting game of betting for the 



THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 133 

treats and pastime commenced. This was a 
novelty to me, to entertain and be entertained in- 
telligently in a game with one to whom I could not 
talk. Games of various kinds were thus continu- 
ously engaged in for pastime by some from time 
to time. 

While we found the Atlantic off the coast of Cape 
Colony rough and the winds violent, still more 
in-sea and in the Indian ocean some times no winds 
blew for days; so that were it not for the steam, 
the ship could scarcely have moved with only its 
sails. 

Henceforth, the same old monotony of sea 
voyage ensued until we came to Melbourne — the 
restless blue waters surging below and the azure 
sky beaming above, with now and then dark spots 
visible in the distance in our rear, some kind of 
sea monsters, attracted by our presence following 
us, as though trying to descry what kind of a 
monster we were trailing through their territory 
of abode. Then there were occasional ccveys of 
sea birds hovering in the distance. 

"What can possess yonder covey of sea birds to 
hover about those dark clouds ?" I said inquiringly 
one day. 

"Oh, those birds always follow up squalls and 
rain-clouds at sea for their drinking water," said 
an observer who seemed to be informed. "This is 
the way the sea-birds thousands of miles away from 



134 THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 

shore get their drinking water ; they get under those 
rain clouds and when the drops of rain form, 
drink their fill" 

The noticeable sea-animals of these intertropical 
waters, during this voyage, were the sharks, sperm- 
whales, albacore, bonito, dolphin and flying-fish. 
Different species as with the animals of the land, 
I find have there geographical range. The right 
whale of the polar-seas, for instance, is confined to 
his own range, while those of the torrid zone are 
impassable to him. 

In reaching Melbourne, I sailed first to Sydney, 
a distance of about six-hundred miles north from 
Melbourne, to take a steamer to Auckland. Here 
at Melbourne and Sydney, the same as at Cape 
Town, I met with a confused swarm of people, 
seemingly of all nationalities. 

The main interest of the inhabitants, from general 
appearance, is centered in securing some form of 
union of the different colonies; though important 
improvements are going on, while the great inland 
wilderness is fast being turned into homes for civ- 
ilized men. Melbourne is the capital of Victoria and 
Sydney the capital of Queensland, provinces which 
originally formed New South Wales, the name 
given to the country first occupied. 

The wild animals peculiar to the inland wilder- 
ness, I learn, are kangaroo, dingo, echidna, and or- 
nithorynchus ; and some of the birds are the emu, 



THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 135 

pigeons, birds of paradise, lyre bird, crimson dory 
and the cassowary. 

This country also has plants and trees very dis- 
tinct from that of other countries. 

"What tree is that with leaves of bluish-green 
hue, and presenting their edges to the sun instead 
of their sides ?" I said to a companion as I walked 
out for observation. 

"That is the eucalyptus or gum-tree," he said, 
"which are of several hundred varieties, and grow 
probably to the loftiest trees in the world." 

I understood some grew to be over four-hundred 
feet high. Then I noticed what they call the beef- 
wood trees. Instead of leaves, they have sheaths 
enclosing their branches, thus resembling in struc- 
ture the "horsetail." 

In the course of a short time, I was again off 
at sea sailing for Auckland, now entering the 
waters of the Pacific Ocean. From Sydney to 
Auckland is a distance of about thirteen-hundred 
miles, the way we went. One event of this voyage 
was that of being caught in a hurricane, which, 
however, proved not materially harmful ; but rather 
only drove us onward in such speed as to cause un- 
easiness of mind. 

Early during this voyage from Sydney, I began 
to feel rheumatic pains coming on in my left leg, 
the thigh of which I had fractured by a gun shot 
near the hip joint while in the States. By the time 



136 THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 

we reached Auckland it became so swollen and pain- 
ful that I was nearly entirely confined to my berth. 
At Auckland I received medical treatment, and af- 
ter some delay, I set sail for Panama. By this 
time, I was able to shuffle about with the aid of a 
cane, but the hip joint has remained quite stiff ever 
since. 

New Zealand, of which Auckland is the principal 
port, is probably unsurpassed by any country in the 
world for richness of soil, healthfulness of climate 
and grandeur of scenery. The inhabitants of 
Auckland I found in the main part of Polynesian 
characteristics. The wild animals and birds of the 
interior are about the same as those of Australia; 
unless the apteryx, a bird which is said to be pe- 
culiarly confined to this island, though very rare. 

In leaving Auckland, the sun shone from the 
north; about midway between it and Panama, at 
noon, it shone from square above us; and after 
crossing the vertical line and from thence on, it 
kept receding to the south. In consequence of these 
variations, I was continually bewildered with ref- 
erence to direction. But these things made new and 
different impressions on my mind. 

"It is all for a purpose," I said — "the inclination 
of the earth's axis has an important bearing upon 
climate and seasons; these mighty waters yield 
of their abundance to refresh our lands; these way- 
ward winds blow and the billows roll for similar 



THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 137 

and definite reasons ; and even the storm and hurri- 
cane have their functions." 

During this voyage I witnessed a wonderful 
storm at night, which I will never forget. Having 
occurred at night, made it appear only the more 
dreadful. I think it was sometime before we 
reached the equatorial calms. I had taken my 
berth and retired, and commenced dozing with my 
mind musing over matters thought on during the 
day, when I was awakened by cries of my com- 
panions amid blinding flashes of lightning and 
deafening thunder, mingled with a splashing and 
roaring, attended with convulsive motions of the 
ship. Hastily dressing and looking out, I saw a 
sight wonderful to behold. Amid the furious rage 
of the storm, the elements were illuminated by in- 
cessant flashes of lightning, attended with rolling 
golden-edge clouds and sheets of rain, in which fish 
could be seen surging to and fro from the ocean, 
presenting a panorama as though actually sailing 
through the abode of fishes and wonders of sub- 
marine waters of the sea. Though some sick from 
fright, it was God's will that the ship be saved. 

Arriving at Panama, I was obliged to cross the 
Isthmus to Colon by railway, a distance of twenty- 
eight miles. 

"What thing is that yonder?" I said to an ob- 
server as the steamer was approaching the Isthmus. 

"Oh, those are steam tugs awaiting our arrival 



138 THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 

to land us and freight on the pier beyond, which 
extends into the bay," he said, "the bay being too 
shallow for steamers." 

Colon and Panama were each the terminus of 
the railway, Panama on the west coast of the 
isthmus and Colon on the east. 

"This is a magnificent bridge for this part of the 
world," said a passenger as we were crossing the 
Chagres river. 

"Yes," was the reply, "it cost several hundred 
thousand dollars, and is over six hundred feet long, 
and about forty feet above the water." 

The bridge was of iron. The isthmus is tra- 
versed through its entire length by a range of moun" 
tains several hundred feet above the level of the 
sea; from which streams flow into the Caribbean 
sea on the one side and the Pacific ocean on the 
other. Much of the surface, I found covered with 
dense forest. Conspicuous among the trees were the 
giant cedars and the palms. The climate is very 
hot on the coasts, but in the interior, relatively 
cool; although fevers prevail everywhere. The 
rainy season had just set in when I crossed the isth- 
mus, and the blossoming trees and flowering vines 
began to present a scenery beautiful to behold. But 
very little of the country was in cultivation. Maize 
and rice were the principal grains. Cotton and in- 
digo were plants native to the country, and grow 
spontaneously. The population of the capital, Pana- 



THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 139 

ma, was some over ten thousand. The houses were 
mostly of stone, built in the Spanish style. The 
buildings of note were the cathedral, the churches, 
the cabildo, and the warehouses of the Panama rail- 
way. Public schools beo-an to receive some en- 
couragement. 

The isthmus, I find, has derived its chief impor- 
tance from its supposed facilities for the construc- 
tion of the interoceanic canal. 

Next comes my last voyage to the States to com- 
plete my circumnavigation of the earth. Instead 
of sailing for Galveston, from whence I started, 
I took passage in a steamer due directly for New 
York City, to the most thickly settled part of the 
country, as my intentions were now to lecture 
again; this time on my travels. 

We stopped no place en route for New York ex- 
cept one, I think it was at Kingston, for coal. The 
distance from Colon to New York City is about 
two thousand, five hundred miles. 

As we were a little north of the latitude of the 
Bermuda Islands I was on the upper deck walking 
to and fro in a triumphant air, murmuring audibly 
to myself, "This completes my circumnavigation of 
the earth, this is about the line I sailed eastward 
in the cruiser." 



140 THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 



CHAPTER XIII. 

It was now late in the spring of the year ; I think 
it was the first of June when we entered the City 
of New York, for I remember remarks were made 
to this effect as it was unusually cool. Even peo- 
ple appeared on the streets in their overcoats. 

Not having my lecture entirely in shape, I 
wished to withdraw to the country to some quiet 
place and finish it and practice. So I bought a 
ticket for Rahway, New Jersey, about fifty miles 
from New York city. Here I enquired for a private 
boarding place in the country and was directed to 
see Frank Bullman, running a truck farm between 
here and Elizabeth, out about three miles, who was 
then in town. Interviewing him, he said he thought 
the chances favorable, but for me to see his mother 
and wife first; and extended an invitation to go 
out with him, which I accepted. He and his wife, 
his mother and sister were living together. My 
wishes were cordially granted; and I think it took 
me two weeks to complete my first lecture and 
practice it sufficiently to deliver it. I introduced 
myself to Frank Bullman as Ferdinand Delaware, 



THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 141 

under which name I lectured in those parts. In 
communicating with Frank since then, I learn a 
railroad has been put through there; and a depot 
has been erected nigh his house, and as near as I 
can infer about the place to which I used to retire 
to make the stump speeches to myself. 

I lectured first at a place near there, I think the 
name was Willow Springs. The subject of my 
first lecture was, 'The Wilds of Yoruba, Western 
Africa." Frank, his wife, mother and sister went 
with me. I was complimented very highly on my 
lecture, especially by Frank. I now had circulars 
struck, and lectured at different places in this vicin- 
ity. One place here, I remember, I lectured in 
the country where there was a crippled school 
teacher teaching, crippled in his spine and legs and 
going on crutches ; and who followed me in my lec- 
ture in a flowery talk in my commendation. The 
house was full, but a greater number of them ap- 
peared to be pupils. Undoubtedly, some of those 
living will remember me by the crippled school 
teacher. 

I made Mr. Bullman's my headquarters until I 
came to lecture too far away to be convenient to 
return. In Virginia, I wrote back to him that 1 con- 
cluded to go to Texas and enter the profession of 
teaching school, as I knew the opportunities were 
inviting in that country; and for him to keep my 
trunk and valise until I ordered them sent to me. 



142 THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 

I enjoyed this lecturing tour well enough, and was 
meeting with good success ; but was continually un- 
easy that being engaged in such a public pursuance 
I might run across some one who might recognize 
me and expose my whereabouts instead of being 
De La Ware, and be a reflection on the fair name 
of my people, before I could explain. 

I now bought a ticket for McKinney, Collin Co., 
Texas. I knew where I was going, for I had been 
in those parts before, though under assumed names ; 
and I knew that if any one would recognize me it 
would be under a name of this kind. So, remem- 
bering that for a couple of days, once, in this sec- 
tion of country, I bore the name "Waters" under 
good repute, I assumed the name of J. C. J. Waters, 
which name I retained and taught school under in 
this part of Texas. And as a matter of general- 
ship, I entered in the Grannan Detective Agency 
as a detective under this name; so that, in case of 
any complication of names while teaching, I could 
show my credentials and vindicate a just position; 
and besides, probably again do work in this line. 
These credentials I still have in my possession to 
this day. 

Now, after arriving at McKinney and remember- 
ing two elderly good people, W. E. Roberts and 
wife, living by themselves a couple of miles west 
of town, I concluded to walk out one morning and 
see if I could get board at this quiet place, and pre- 



THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 143 

pare myself for the teachers' examination, and 
make it my headquarters until I procured a school. 
Mrs. Roberts was formerly the widow of Captain 
Johnson, who fell during the Confederate war. Al- 
though having passed through here once and 
stopped for a drink of water, I thought that they 
would not recognize me merely by this, though I 
was confident I could fix it up with them even if 
they did. Favorably impressed with my appearance, 
they said I could board with them with pleasure, 
as they were by themselves and lonesome anyway. 

To those that are familiar with the surroundings 
at that time, it will not appear strange now that I 
should have taken up board around the turn of the 
road back of Wood Hills. 

With the education I had, of course getting a 
certificate was a little matter. I still have a First 
Grade certificate of this time under the name of 
"Waters" in my possession. It was my ambition 
not wanting to teach more than one term at a place 
— to be with a new class of people and have a new 
set of pupils is what I was ever striving for. 

While teaching in this part of Texas, I invariably 
made Mr. Roberts my headquarters until I taught 
the Roland school when I boarded with Mr. Wil- 
meth, and made that my headquarters for sometime 
thereafter. 

After my school closed the following spring, and 
learning through my official documents of a man 



144 THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 

about Anna, Texas, suiting the description of one 
wanted for murder, I went up there and took up 
board at Mr. Greer's to investigate. 

I remained here about two weeks. Upon leav- 
ing, Mr. Greer turned and said to me: "Well, I 
don't know what you are up to, but I take you to 
be a detective; and you will always be known to 
us as the 'mysterious traveller.' " Mr. J. L. Greer, 
of McKinney, Texas, and Representative to the 
Legislature of Texas, was living with his brother 
at the time, and said he also remembered this man, 
and the name they had given him. 

In the meanwhile, while I settled down teaching, 
I commenced writing a book on political govern- 
ment and capital and labor at my leisure, which took 
me four long years to complete, and not until I left 
Mr. Wilmeth's. I also wrote on religious matters 
but which I never revealed to any one. I had the 
political part published, mainly to review and pres- 
ent to my friends for criticism, for it seemed use- 
less at this time for me to try to bring it before the 
people with much success under an assumed name. 
And my mind was full of romance, and I thought 
that the simple name "Waters" was not sufficiently 
adequate to have the book put out under as author. 
So, I had the book published as though written by 
a different person, and under the name "Straiho," 
as author. The only way I can account for manu- 
facturing this name is in way of combining my 



THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 145 

real name "Straugh" with the name "Strato," 
philosopher, with whom I understood my ancestors 
were related. But some of my friends said they 
thought I was the author of the book. So after 
going to Grayson County to teach school, for some 
reason, I assumed this name Straiho, saying that I 
was the author of the book and Straiho was my 
name, that Waters had been merely a name for de- 
tective purposes. I was re-examined for a teacher's 
certificate under this name, and received a First 
Class State Certificate of Texas. This name, 
Straiho, A. P. A. Straiho, I have retained ever since 
to this writing, and expect to retain it till I return 
again to the country of my boyhood. 

Several times in life, I remember, using the same 
name with other persons for a purpose. This was 
the case under the name Waters, which confounded 
me with another person and a teacher by that name. 
Then for a time, I had a person employed in my 
place that looked like me, while I was away on 
other business. This first came about by some one 
taking me for that person. 

My thoughts seemingly perturbed by writing on 
governmental affairs, attended with notions of go- 
ing back home some time, I had a dream I will relate. 
I produce it with some hesitancy ; though I feel that 
without it my history would not be complete, since 
these dreams seemed to have had more or less bear- 
ing therein. 



146 THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 






I dreamt that I was present at dinner with an 
assembly of friends at my father's house, some of 
whom were very popular and eminent persons. 
Among them was the president of the United 
States, and several college professors. It ap- 
peared to me that the President was Abraham Lin- 
coln, still he was a man not of his stature, for his 
looks is just as plain before me at this writing as 
though it had actually occurred and but an hour ago. 
I thought he was a small and slender like man with 
black hair, dark eyes, and of rather dark complex- 
ion; and while walking appeared to be of a squatty, 
bow-legged order of men. He was commonly 
dressed, and I thought the front part of one of 
the soles of his shoes was worn off so much that 
the forepart of his stocking foot was slightly visible. 
As I was standing up before some one talking, I 
thought he glanced over and saw his shoe, when he 
said audibly only to ourselves: "The old saying, 
'the clothes isn't what makes the man,' is only too 
true." This was while we were all standing and 
sitting about waiting for dinner. 

My father sat, I thought, on the same side of the 
table next to me on my left; and on the same side of 
the table, two or three persons down further still 
on the left of my father sat the President. The 
most attractive dish to me on the table was that of 
fish, pickerel, a fish so common in all the lakes of 
my native country. The fish, I thought was passed 



THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 147 

from one to another on a platter which came to me 
last. I took out a large chunk, such as I used to, 
when I noticed there were only several more pieces 
left on the platter; and I thought to myself, I 
wonder if this is all of it. 

Some time after this and after President Cleve- 
land's second administration, I had another curi- 
ous dream. 

I dreamt that I was out with a party on a lake 
or bay duck-hunting. Among the party was one 
noticeably large and fleshy, and with whom I liked 
best to hunt and associate. One day some one said 
to me, "This is President Cleveland you are with," 
when I appeared to be surprised, and said : "Why 
this is not such a bad man !" 

It may be thought that I am a constant dreamer 
but not that way. It is only at great intervals 
that I dream — sometimes not for months, and then 
generally in connection with something of serious 
import. 

After teaching my first school in Texas and re- 
turning now and then to Mr. Roberts, and while 
there devoted to writing and study until midnight 
hours, the nature of which I revealed to no one, 
I noticed it caused the subject of much talk and ex- 
pressions of opinions among the neighbors from the 
very first. And when I disclosed to them my 
shooting abilities, of which I speak in the ensuing 
chapter, it made it even worse. Although, what- 



148 THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 

ever was said of me, was intended to be kept in 
the backgrounds, as I was at all times highly re- 
spected and treated nicely by everybody. 

"Well, whose business is it what he has been or 
what he intends to be; he harms no one that I 
know of," Bob Roberts said once to a person, re- 
ferring to me ; "he pays his bills and always acts the 
gentleman. " 

Such mysterious maneuvers, and talk and expres- 
ions of opinions about me here and abroad nearly 
wherever I had been in those times, is the way this 
book came to be given the title, "The Mysterious 
Traveler," the appellation given me by Mr. Greer 
at Anna. During my time in these parts, I skipped 
a number of years at different times that I did not 
teach school. 

It was now my ambition to get a partner of the 
fairer sex, and go to Seven Rivers, New Mexico, 
a country I had visited before, and settle down ; in- 
vesting what I had in a few cattle, let them grow 
to me and be supported from the increase (this hav- 
ing been a wild and open country suitable for a 
pursuance of this kind), and complete my writing on 
scientific subjects at my leisure. Having formed 
the acquaintance of a young orphan girl hereto- 
fore in my rounds, a recherche of exemplary char- 
acter, above the average in intelligence, and of a 
romantic mind the same as myself; and knowing 
she had taken a fancy to me as I to her, I went and 



THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 149 

laid before her my proposal, which she accepted, 
but in a way to be unknown to her nearest and rul- 
ing coterie at home. I found her one of nature's 
emblems ever true to her words and vows, morally 
and virtuously. The connubial ceremony was per- 
formed by a Mexican official. But ere long, owing 
to the change to the western unexperienced frontier 
life and lack of an ironclad constitution, she suc- 
cumbed to the decree of fate and departed to the 
world without woe. Now left by myself and de- 
spondent, I again returned to Collin County, Texas. 

After this, I never met with damsels that I thought 
were of a similar nature and ambition of myself, 
or in whom I had sufficient confidence to entrust 
my history. And to marry under an assumed name 
unknown to a spouse and under estrangement of my 
past history and future intentions, I thought might 
prove detrimental to my plans, and in the end be 
chances of an unhappy wedlock. For this reason, 
I have remained single since. 

At this time, it so happened that an exceptionally 
intelligent old tramp came to Mr. Roberts and 
worked mainly for his board, giving his name as 
Stephens. Having imparted to me that he taught 
school in the Yankee States in his younger days 
and winning confidence and sympathy, I had a new 
suit of clothes expressed to him, and loaned him 
money to pay incidental expenses, which he was to 
pay back from the salary of the school I agreed to 



150 THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 

help him get. He went before the board of ex- 
aminers and received a first grade certificate; for 
he was a smart man, excepting the failing that was 
in the habit of dragging him into the wallow, which 
I had suspicioned and proved to be so in time, "en- 
slaved to the indulgence of liquor." Through my 
influence he procured the school I taught the pre- 
vious year. But before leaving, I made it con- 
venient to overshadow him at times, as I claimed 
this as a part of my profession. Following him 
up one Sunday in the backwoods, at hearing dis- 
tance, I noticed him instantly coming to a stop and 
jerk his coat. I was hid behind a tree and listened. 
He hung his coat upon a bush, then stepped back 
and addressed it thus: "What, Jack Johnson! 
Jack Johnson of Greenwood?" Then the wind 
whistled through the branches and what he said was 
indistinct, and I withdrew as quietly as I had ap- 
proached him, and again went about other business. 
Before he finished his school in the spring, he 
did so bad that the trustees expelled him ; and he left, 
no one knew where. So, after his departure, I kept 
thinking of the expression he had made, "Jack John- 
son ! Jack Johnson of Greenwood !" What could it 
have meant? There was a man in the neighborhood 
by this name, Jack Johnson, the son of Captain John- 
son and Mrs. Roberts, whom he did not like; but 
associating the name with the place Greenwood was 
the mystery. "This may be a refugee from jus- 



THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 151 

tice," I said, "upon whom there is a heavy reward, 
and he has insulted me anyway, I will look him up." 

Turning to an atlas, I found the nearest Green- 
wood was in Louisiana, sixteen miles west of 
Shreveport, to which place I departed. Enter- 
ing the village, I took up board at a hotel run by 
a constable. I inquired of him about the man 
Stephens, giving his description, and about the 
man Jack Johnson. 

"Stephens," he said, "there is no man by that 
name of the description you give in this country." 
"Now there is an old drunken fellow, of this des- 
cription, gone a heap, and has given me some 
trouble in town, that stays out here in the country 
with a mulatto negro named Jack Johnson, when 
he is about," he continued. 

"That's the man," I said, "Jack Johnson of 
Greenwood, that explains it, I'll give the gentle- 
men a call in the morning." 

Behold ! on the morning I found it was he, who 
had now as before, fallen so low that he was driven 
to the negroes to seek shelter. Finding him ad- 
judged only with minor offenses, I dismissed him 
from my mind. 

Feeling, now, like taking a novel form of recrea- 
tion after this far abroad, I went back to the hotel 
for my lodging, and told the constable to tell the 
boys in his rounds I was a rifle-wing shot and could 
beat the town for fun or money; and for them to 



152 THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 

meet me on the lawn back of the depot in the 
morning; in the meanwhile explaining that the 
targets would be tincans, snuff bottles, marbles etc., 
thrown into the air, one at a time, to be hit by bul- 
lets fired from a Winchester rifle before falling 
to the ground. I had with me a thirty-two caliber 
Winchester, which a number came and examined 
that night before the shooting in the morning. 

Not wanting the man Stephens to be on the 
alert by the name Waters, under which he had 
known me in Collin County, I had assumed the 
name Adams under which name I did this shoot- 
ing. 



THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 153 



CHAPTER XIV. 

"If you were a bad man and I had you to arrest, 
I'd never read the papers to you; Fd slip up and 
shoot you in the back," the constable said to me as 
he stepped up behind me and patted me on the 
shoulder, during the shooting contest and after a 
little halt of perforating with bullets, tin cans 
thrown in the air and turning brick-bats into dust 
before falling to the ground. 

Another person turning to one just stepping up 
said: "This man can shoot the ball of a nat's 
heel off on the wing, and then shoot it out of exist- 
ence before it can bat its eyes." 

I now took advantage of the occasion, for my 
fun, by proposing to do something very unreason- 
able, when a man spoke and said, "any man who 
would risk a nickle against any amount after see- 
ing the shooting you have done, would be a fool, 
no matter what you propose to do." 

The shooting match here, in short, was of very 
much the same nature, and conducted under similar 
rules as the social match given at the end of my 
school at Roland which were published in the Mc- 



154 THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 

Kinney Democrat, and which I reproduce in the 
latter part of this chapter. The shooting exhibi- 
tion, as generally the case, was well attended; even 
a sprinkle of females turned out to see. 

It was in a shooting exhibition of this kind after 
some public gathering that I had first met my 
spouse; and from which I had inferred that as 
her curiosity was aroused to see a romantic per- 
formance of this kind, her proclivities must be 
similar to mine in this respect. 

I now went to Shreveport, and putting up sev- 
eral days at the City Hotel, I became acquainted 
with Jacob Hawse, Jr., whose father, Jacob Hawse, 
Sr. owned it; but lived out on his plantation, and 
with whom his son Jacob resided also. The young 
man learning of my sporting avocation at the time, 
invited me out to the plantation to hunt and fish 
with him. I accepted. They had a large cotton 
plantation and had at least fifty negro men employed 
working it, besides the women and children; thus 
affording the young man amply leisure to sport 
with me. The negro men were mostly married and 
living in log cabins about on the plantation. Here, 
I remained a month and did nothing but fish, 
hunt and shoot. There was not a day but what I 
did not average one hundred and fifty shots at 
mere flying targets, regardless of the shooting I 
did at game and still targets; for I had a curiosity 
in knowing what the constant practice of a month 



THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 155 

would do after already being an expert. One form 
of shooting I did here in way of practice, I would 
take a sack of large over-cup acorns in the back of 
of the boat and throw them off a distance and shoot 
them while Mr. Hawse was rowing on the lake and 
down Papaw Bayou. I had a negro boy servant 
employed to reload cartridges for me, as this was 
cheaper; and have him gather up the empty snuff 
bottles and similar things among the negroes cabins 
for targets to shoot at while about the premises. 
Undoubtedly, there are negroes living in this neigh- 
borhood, who now' remember me by their tin snuff 
boxes pitched in the air and my shooting them out 
of existence and scattering the snuff to the four 
winds. I went under the name of Adams at this 
plantation, and retained the name until I returned 
to Collin County to teach the Roland School. The 
Haw r se plantation was sixteen miles from Shreve- 
port, and Greenwood was their nearest village and 
post-office address. 

The balance of time before I returned to teach 
the Roland School, I devoted nearly entirely to 
sporting with my Winchester. Hearing of a pic- 
nic near the Texas line, I think it was near Atlanta, 
Texas, I went over and entertained them by some 
shooting. I then went into Arkansas and hunted 
some and shot about. The title Bullet-proof 
Adam was here given me at some place; after 
which I had circulars struck' representing me 



156 THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 

under this title, some circulars of which I still 
have to this day. I gave several entertainments 
while over there, one of which I think was given 
on the public lawn at Goodhope. 

During cotton picking time in the fall, I re- 
turned again and taught school at Roland, after 
which I gave an entertainment of marksmanship 
to my pupils and friends; since hearing of it, they 
wanted to see it themselves, to which I alluded 
before. 

Now, I speak of these things, and reproduce 
the clippings not boastingly; but writing my his- 
tory, I am obliged to do so, otherwise I could not 
give a true account of myself and whereabouts. 






CLIPPINGS FROM THE McKINLEY DEM- 
OCRAT. 

Roland, Tex., March 16, 189 1 : — An entertain- 
ment was given by J. C. J. Waters, the Professor, 
on Friday of the last day of his school, compris- 
ing speeches, declamations and rehearsals at- 
tended with instrumental music; and in conclusion 
a display of his marksmanship. The music was 
given by Messrs. Charley Cox and Semour 
Brown. The form of the shooting given was as 
is indicated by the headings underneath. 



THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 157 

RIFLE WING SHOOTING BY THE CROWD. 

After introducing the shooting by throwing off 
several brick-bats and shattering them, and throw- 
ing up a tin can about the size of a small fist and 
shooting two holes through it before it fell to the 
ground showing how it was done, he had the crowd 
try their hand at it. The crowd, all who would, took 
two shots apiece and all together fired about one 
hundred shots. The crowd in all their shots, ac- 
cording to the rules made but one-tenth of a score, 
which was made by Vady Burkett, one of the schol- 
ars. 

RIFLE WING SHOOTING AT FLYING BRICK-BATS WITH 

A PITCHER ONE HUNDRED SHOTS 

BY THE PROFESSOR. 

The pitcher would throw up half and quarter 
brick-bats, some close by and others farther off, 
which he would shatter, one with the first shot, and 
then pick out some of the larger pieces and shoot 
and make dust out of them. This was all done so 
quick, that it was hard to tell just how many pieces 
he would hit. If he missed any of the main brick- 
bats I don't know it. He would shoot two, three 
and sometimes four times at different pieces before 
falling to the ground. Many times I could plainly 
see him hit the second shot and once or twice that 



158 THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 

I know of, I saw him hit the third shot. A remark- 
able feature of the shooting was that he shot the 
one hundred shots in much less than two minutes 
time ; having had three Winchesters and a man to 
load them. This may seem incredible, but will be 
plain when it is known that he can shoot three times 
a second. John Calahan, who was one of the men 
detailed to load the guns said he shot so fast at one 
time that he did not give the hammer time to fall 
down far enough to crack the cap and threw the 
cartridge out in place of a hull. 

RIFLE-WING SHOOTING AT FLYING BRICK-BATS BY 

THROWING THEM IN THE AIR THEN TAKING 

A WINCHESTER AND SHOOTING THEM. 

Under this kind of shooting, he done about the 
same as with a pitcher. Here he would also throw 
up small tin cans and shoot one and two and three 
holes through them before they would fall to the 
ground. 

SHOOTING TIN CANS, BRICK-BATS ETC. WITHOUT 

SIGHT. 

Here he would have tin cans and brick bats set 
away from him different distances and then poke 
the gun out before him about hip high and shoot 
them without sight. He would flip his gun from 



THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 159 

one to the other and shoot wonderfully fast and 
rarely ever missed. He would shoot under cans 
without sight and knock them up and then throw his 
gun to his face and shoot them once and twice be- 
fore they would hit the ground. 

RIFLE-WING SHOOTING AT SMALL MARBLES, HICK- 
ORY NUTS, AND BULLETS THE SAME SIZE OF 
THE RIFLE BALL. 

The judges pronounced him hitting four marbles 
out of six, two hickory nuts out of three and two 
bullets out of four. He says his misses were due to 
changing to substances of different velocities, and 
beside too sluggish muscles, due to confinement in 
the school room and shooting without practicing up 
before hand. 

SHOOTING AT THREE STILL TARGETS WITH SIGHT. 

Here he had three posts off fifty yards from where 
he was standing, and about fifteen yards apart, with 
a paper mark on each. He commenced at the left 
hand target and flipped his gun from one to the 
other and shot very fast, and with his own gun 
the first round didn't miss a mark, hitting them all 
center enough to make them fall to the ground. 
The marks were a little larger than a quarter or 
about that size. 



i6o THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 

SHOOTING AT THREE STILL TARGETS WITHOUT SIGHT. 

On the same posts as before, he had three paper 
marks placed, and then shot without sight, poking 
the gun out in front of him the same as shooting 
without sight before. He shot this way one round 
at three marks, and brought two of the marks to the 
ground, having hit them center enough to make 
them fall, but missed one mark. This distance, 
shooting without sight was eighteen yards. 

After this shooting with and without sight, he 
had some marks put up of the same size as before, 
for the best marksman of the crowd to try their 
hand. There were a number of shots shortly fired and 
a record taken, but there was no one in the crowd 
who made as good shots with sight as he had made 
without sight. Very likely there are some who will 
doubt the truth of this shooting, but it is some- 
thing I have seen with my own eyes and this is the 
reason I write it. The judges appointed at the shoot- 
ing were: Messrs. Tom Brown, Guss Wilson, J. 
K. Drury and myself, who together with other at- 
tendants, I am sure will bear me out in what I 
have said. 

That he hit the two last marbles, and threw a 
bullet up the same size of the caliber of his rifle, 
himself, and then took his Winchester and drove it 
off the first shot, is enough to show that he can plug 
it to 'em when he wants to. He says when he first 



THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 161 

struck Collin he was in good practice and could 
shoot anything in the air large enough to see, but at 
present is not quite so good as he did not keep up 
sufficient practice. 

I wonder if he isn't the school teacher we read 
about out west that produced silence in the school 
room by taking out his gun and putting the bullets 
one after another through a knot hole. 

Very truly, 

Henry Moore. 



I will also produce the rules of marksmanship we 
used here, and elsewhere generally, which are as 
follows : — 

i. A pint tin can when pitched or thrown in the 
air by a pitcher or a trap shall count, when hit, one 
score; however, if so agreed to, any other material 
for targets may be used. A can or target half as 
large shall count two scores; one-third as large, 
three scores; one- fourth as large, four scores and 
so on. 

2. Throwing or pitching a target in the air by a 
person, and then swing his gun around and shoot, 
pulling the trigger with the same hand he throws, 
shall count, when hit, three to one. 

3. The size targets used, and the manner of pitch" 
ing the target shall be optional with the person who 



162 THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 

shoots. Only one trial shall be given to a shot— the 
person who fails to shoot when the target is up shall 
be marked a miss. 

4. To make it less liable to practice deception, 
and to enable better to determine when the targets 
are hit, the contest shooting shall be within the 
range of twenty yards. 

5. And to avoid trouble which might be caused by 
an attempt to use shot cartridges the judges shall 
first examine the cartridges and see that they are 
genuine bullet cartridges; and then one of them 
shall slip them into the magazine with his own 
hand; otherwise, buy them themselves. 

A number of articles relative to my shooting in 
those times, I noticed in different newspapers, the 
clippings of which I never saved. Though after 
leaving Grayson County and becoming editor of the 
Texas Herald at Paris, Lamar County, Texas, and 
after assuming the name "Straiho," whereof I have 
spoken, an article appeared in the Daily Dinner 
Horn, a clipping of which I still have; and which I 
will also reproduce, since in this chapter I am in- 
dulging on this subject. It came about in this way : 
Here, as at other places, unless occasion or recrea- 
tion demanded it, I never had anything to say about 
shooting or my marksmanship. So I had been at 
Paris nearly a year, I think, strictly attending to 
newspaper work,- when one day, I overheard Mr. 
Fields telling the boys what kind of a marksman he 



THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 163 

was. Turning to the gentleman I said: "Today is 
Saturday and we are at leisure, suppose we get 
several boxes of cartridges and a Winchester and re- 
tire to the fair grounds and take a round ; if I beat, 
you pay for the cartridges, and if you beat, I pay 
for them ; I can afford to pay for them for the fun 
there is in it." 

He willingly accepted; but he had the cartridges 
to pay for. And in a day or so, the following article 
appeared in the Dinner Horn : — 

f CHAMPION RIFLE SHOT THE EDITOR OF THE TEXAS 

HERALD OF THIS CITY ENTITLED TO THAT HONOR. 

Few people would pick out from a crowd Mr. 

! A. P. A. Straiho, editor and proprietor of the Her- 
ald, as a champion rifle shot, but the clever work of 

1 this gentleman in the past certainly entitles him to 

; distinction in that capacity. 

He shoots a Winchester rifle with unerring ac- 
curacy, never "draws a bead," but shoots from the 
hip. A gentleman who went out with Mr. Straiho 
a few days ago stated that the gentleman threw a 
small oyster can out in front of him and put two 
balls through it before it struck the ground, and 
immediately after he knocked it up into the air by 
putting a shot just beneath the can, then put another 
ball through the can before, it struck the ground. 
Mr. Straiho then took from his pocket a handful of 
pecans, threw them in to the air one at a time and 
broke them with the balls from the rifle. He also 



i6 4 THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 

threw up a lead pencil and cut in half while in the 
air. 

Mr. Straiho is a modest gentleman and has never 
made a display of his skill with the rifle, yet he is 
willing to meet all comers in a shooting contest for 
points only. The gentleman would undoubtedly 
prove a winner at a turkey shooting. 



In Collin County, and under the name "Waters," 
I kept my marksmanship least secluded. But no one 
in the county, I think, saw me shoot a gun or heard 
me say the word, till the holidays during the time I 
was teaching at Bois' Dare. Here, a party of about 
a dozen wrung me into a shooting match to see who 
should pay for a turkey for Christmas dinner. In- 
nocent appearing as I must have been, they of 
course thought I would have the turkey to pay for. 
But they were mistaken ; they looked at one another 
and said, "Why that man's shot before." 

In a couple of weeks after this one Saturday, hav- 
ing bought me a Winchester again, I went squirrel 
hunting with Jack Johnson when I stepped to a 
bois'darc tree, picked up apples, pitched them into 
the air and shot them in pieces before falling to the 
ground. Then I took some pecans from my pocket, 
I had picked up going along, and pitched them up 
one after another, and, as Jack had it, turned them 
into streaks of blue smoke. He told all this to his 



THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 165 

neighbors upon returning, but they had their doubts 
about it. I also remember him telling that in com- 
ing to a dead pecan tree with six fox squirrels on it 
a sunning, that I had all their heads shot off before 
he thought of shooting; and did it so quick that I 
had the last one killed before the first one hit the 
ground. The next time I went hunting, I think it 
was with his son Dan, a pupil of mine, when I shot 
bois'darc apples, tin cap boxes, pecans, etc., thrown 
into the air in a similar way. After this, I always 
would step out and shoot for any one that wanted to 
see me ; but would never say what I could do before 
hand; I would do the shooting and let them tell it. 
Undoubtedly, there are now scores all through this 
country that remember me by my shooting, vari- 
ously known as "the Shooting School Teacher/' 
and "Canada Jim," as at that time I had claimed 
to have come from Canada. After shooting in this 
way, and in public places some thereafter, I was ask- 
ed repeatedly why I did not follow up annual fairs 
and shows and engage in prize shooting; that if 
they could shoot like I, they would do nothing but 
shoot. I can now answer truthfully. The reason 
was, I wanted to avoid being made too public, fear- 
ing people from my own country might meet up 
with me and recognize me; besides it was not the 
exhibition of marksmanship that I was out for, I 
had that as a means to other ends. And I never bet 
nor gambled, unless as a factor for similar reasons. 



166 THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 

Sometimes, for certain purposes, on this account, 
I would go under more or less disguise. For in- 
stance, for a time as in Collin county, I wore my 
hair long, hanging down over my shoulders. 

To become an expert rifle wing shot one must be 
quick motioned and of quick perception. He must 
be quick in judging distances of the moving objects, 
their velocities and direction of motion, and then 
must be quick in calculating, not only where to shoot 
to hit, but be able to shoot with a flash where he 
wants to, which takes an abundance of practice. 
Nevertheless, in the course of time, one becomes so 
accustomed to it that he is prompted involuntarily 
by a kind of instinct. The practice to become an ex- 
pert rifle wing shot may be likened to the thumps 
on the keys of a piano to become an expert pianist, 
the different shots in the practice of rifle wing 
shooting corresponding to the thumps on the keys of 
a piano, only it may take a countless number more 
shots than thumps on the keys of a piano. By this 
kind of shooting, I do not mean to be able merely 
to hit tin cans hurled in the air or a fowl on the 
wing occasionally, but to hit anything, reasonably 
well, at any and all times, the same as an expert still 
rifle-shot would hit the same objects were they of 
equal distance and stationary. 

It is primarily necessary, however, to have good 
eyes; and eyes above the average. I now begin to 
find that it is not only very straining on my eyes; 



THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 167 

but that they are failing me; and it is my intention 
to quit this kind of shooting for mere sport as soon 
as I return home and shoot some in the presence of 
my relatives. 

After my school at Roland, I continued to make 
Mr. H. F. Wilmeth's my headquarters during the 
time. I will never forget the kindness and respect 
with which I was treated while with the family; 
the family consisting of the parents, three little 
girls and two twin boys. I was now principally en- 
gaged in completing my book on political govern- 
ment and labor, and in the meanwhile lectured a 
few times. At this time I also made a trip to South 
America, when after a short sojournment I again 
returned to Texas. 

In Grayson county, after teaching at Jameson, I 
run for County School Superintendent of Public 
Instruction, but was defeated. This is the only 
time I ever run for office, and did so then only for 
the sake of my friends. I now went to Lamar 
county and became editor and proprietor of the 
Texas Herald. 



168 THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 



CHAPTER XV. 

"Let me use your editorial ticket to make a trip, 
you have more tickets you can ride out before 
New Years/' was a common expression by the boys 
near the time of the approaching holidays. 

"Yes, but these tickets are very rigid, my descrip- 
tion, even weight and complexion is entered in the 
back of the book, and stipulated that the conductor 
shall permit its use by no one else," I would say. 
"I'll get there with it just the same, let me try 
it, you'll be out nothing," would be the reply. 

If accommodations of this kind, and access to 
free railway fare and complimentary tickets to the- 
aters and shows myself, constituted a success in 
journalism my experience with the Texas Herald 
can be called successful. But to make it a success 
financially I found the work too confining and in- 
compatible to my nature. In the profession of 
school work, the time before nine o'clock in the 
morning and after four in the afternoon, and Satur- 
days and Sundays, was mine to be devoted to other 
matters; but I found it not so in journalism. Then 
the itineracy connected with the latter made it more 



THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 169 

suitable to me at the time. In the meanwhile, before 
taking charge of the Texas Herald, one month's 
editorship of the Bors' Dare Thorn of Sherman 
during the editor's absence, proved a schooling 
preparatory for the management of the Texas Her- 
ald at Paris. After eighteen months experience 
with this paper, I disposed of it. The Spanish- 
American war now brewing, the young proprietors 
contracting the war fever, shortly thereafter, I 
understand, merged the paper with some other 
journal elsewhere, and entered the services of Uncle 
Sam. 

It was in the autumn of 1896, when I became 
editor and proprietor of this paper and in the spring 
of 1898 when I retired. It is not until now that 
I entered a career in which I can narrate the time of 
events accurately; only such as teaching several 
schools and shooting exhibitions mentioned here- 
tofore. 

The country in this section of Texas becoming 
too densely populated foi my fancy, I now went 
further west to resume the profession of teaching 
— to a country, as I said, similarly settled and de- 
veloped as was this country when I first entered it. 

"There is now Fisher County, not organized 
when I was through there before, must surely have 
a population by this time sufficient to require some 
schools; I will go there," I said, " and locate." 
Roby is the county seat, and the nearest railroad 



170 THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 

point was Sweetwater in the next county south, 
Leaving Paris in June, I arrived at Sweetwater 
the latter part of the same month. The many prai- 
rie dogs, to which hitherto I had been accustomed, 
seemed to greet me on every side in the day, and the 
coyotes serenaded me at night, as though to make 
me feel welcome as in the times of yore. 

At the time of my arrival, I think there were but 
six schools in the county, the principal school of 
which was at Roby, a school of about one hundred 
and thirty pupils and three teachers with the princi- 
pal. After visiting w T ith Mr. Philips, an acquaint- 
ance, who moved here from Lamar, I procured the 
Center Point School south of Roby, now Palava. 
I taught here six months, with an intermission, 
however, of six weeks during cotton picking time. 
During this intermission, I rode out the remain- 
ing editorial tickets still in my name. I first went 
to El Paso, thence south into Mexico, visiting the 
Casa Grande country and other places. However, 
the unique buildings, strange appearance and cus- 
toms of the people, the peculiar construction of the 
arenas, etc., to which I had been accustomed, was 
no new thing to me. 

After finishing the Center Point School, I pro- 
cured the principalship of the High School at 
Roby, having three instructors as my assistants 
and one teacher of instrumental music. At the 
close of this school, I straightway taught a school 



THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVEl ER 171 

al Dorras in this county, and iii the meanwhile 
sisted in the publication of a newspaper tempo 
rarily published at Roby. 

While in this county, I took a number of recrea 
lion trips, hunting and fishing with different parties 
— with the County Treasurer, J. R. Reed, up and 
down the Concho; with the Landlord, G. S. Rob- 
erts, to the San Saba (when I made my head 
quarters at Manardville about a month), and with 
Caul Fisher to Southwestern Texas and Southern 
New Mexico. 

Matters relative to the country of my boyhood 
now began to worry me. 

"Will I ever return home and make myself 
known, or will T live in oblivion forever," I said. 
t4 I am now far past my 'hens and getting up in 
years, and if I ever intend to return, it is begin- 
ning to be time," 

"I will bid adieu to this country/' I finally con 
eluded, "and gO west to the haunts of my youth, 
locate, recruit up and think it over." 

So Strapping a roll of bedding on my buggy, 

kman style, with necessary camping utensils, 1 

led for the country along the eaprocks south and 

west of Liberty (now Tucumcari), New Mexico. 



172 THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 



CHAPTER XVI. 

"Here is one of the haunts during my youth in 
the wild west," I said to myself as I was saunter- 
ing along leisurely to and fro looking thither from 
the caprocks. 

"Here I am again, after so long a time," I 
murmured, "but not with a mission as in days gone 
by — no, but to look for a location and meditate up- 
on these pinnacles (mesas) over my destiny." 

After several days rambling about and medita- 
tion, I concluded to return to the Would-be Mesa, 
south and east of Liberty, and now south of Endee, 
and look around. We had called this Would-be 
Mesa, because it is a mountain connected by a nar- 
row neck of land with the plains; and if not pro- 
tected from corrosion by the weather and rains, in 
the course of time, it would be washed away and 
the mesa stand out by itself like, for instance, 
Soldiers, Mesa in New Mexico and Double Mts. in 
Stonewall county, Texas. 

This mesa has a surface of over a section of land, 
which is quite level, covered with a beautiful shrub- 
bery of cedars and pinons, and a soil similar to 
that of the plains. 



THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 173 

Standing on the topmost part, my eyes feasted 
on the flats below. "Yonder is Soldier's Mesa/' 
I said, "which they now call Tucumcari Mountain, 
the great guide post of the adventurers of the past." 

But there are few houses I can see dimly in the 
distance and tanks of water, and there to the east 
stands a lonely windmill. "What does this mean?" 
There were no houses yonder when we were here be- 
fore — nothing but a Mexican hut or two between 
the Texas line and Liberty. 

"Yea, some settlers since then, have located here." 
"I will drive around by these people's houses," I 
continued, "and see what kind of people they are." 

So doing, I found the ranches of Messrs. Crab- 
tree, Aston, Byrd, Elkins and Claybrooks. Finding 
them a clever set of people, and favorably impressed 
with the country for ranching purposes, especially 
with the plains to the south, all open, wild and un- 
settled, I concluded to locate here myself. 

"I will locate on top of the plains near this wind- 
mill where I can get water," I said, "and at my 
convenience buy the windmill and location, and 
sometime have all this, inclusive of the mesa, for a 
ranch." 

But by the time I had a shack built, cistern dug 
and pasture fenced, a gentleman from abroad filed 
on the watering place for himself, which frustrated 
my plans. I then went below my location in the 
edge of the flats and dug a well and built a cottage, 



174 THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 

retaining my former location for a pasture. I first 
taught out a school, however, at Dimmitt, the 
county seat of Castro County, Texas, which I had 
contracted to teach. Here I employed W. R. Jerni- 
gan to go with me to help improve and build. But 
owing to the need of medical treatment for his wife, 
he became alarmed upon being in this lonely country 
and so far away from physicians that he asked to 
leave, which I granted. After this I procured as- 
sistance as I could. 

"But I must be observant of an occupation/' I 
said after a time, "and get acquainted with the 
neighbors, however distant, besides, it would likely 
cause an unfavorable impression to live in too much 
seclusion/' 

So saying, I procured two schools of two months 
each, fifty miles west of my location, the schools 
having been at Quay and Dodson, seven miles apart; 
which I taught in succession. The following year 
I procured the school in the nearest settlement, 
Old Endee, ten miles north of me. In teaching this 
school, I went from home the greatest part of 
the time, going in a buggy every morning and even- 
ing, as distance in the west has ever been of little 
concern. 

In the days of my boyhood, I remember the 
county seat was eight miles from our village, which 
town my people frequented. To go there and back 
was considered a big day's drive. Here, it would 



THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 175 

only be around the turn of the road and a drive 
before breakfast. Then I remember there was 
Lima, twenty-five miles west of us, people went 
occasionally. They would talk about it for weeks, 
and get up at midnight to make preparations for 
the trip the following day. Here, people drive 
it before noon in the morning and never think about 
it either before or after. 

Old Endee, which sprang up since my first visit, 
is a place of some history, but bears a harder name 
than it deserves. Like many other frontier places 
of the past, it had its saloons, and in consequence 
it brawls and shooting affrays. On each side of 
the arroyo, in sight of the school house door, are 
now the graves of men killed in this w^ay. The 
graves of two men are alongside the play-ground, 
upon which tomb rocks the boys and girls thought- 
lessly recline and rest after their rounds. For all 
this, and for all that there is thus far no church 
organization nor ever any preaching, the permanent 
residents of this locality are a class of substantial 
and upright citizens. I have a number of times 
thought : "Yea, there is more genuine Christianity 
among these people without preachers than many 
places with them, where I have been." By this it 
is not intended any intimation against the christian 
religion, but rather an arraignment against hypoc- 
risy. 

And with reference to the school, I can say the 



176 THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 

pupils are an obedient and social set of children, I 
believe, as I ever taught. 

About this time, shortly after my school ended, 
I had a wonderful dream, thinking I had returned 
home to my native village on a scout. 

Let the dream amount to what it may, it made 
me feel melancholy the following day; and had a 
tendency to make me curious about the condition 
at home, and hasten me in my arrangements. 

I now disposed of my upper and lower places to 
make a definite decision, which I did, such as given 
in the introduction. 

While this location I had chosen is not by far the 
most romantic of places, I fancied it since it is 
fronted to the south by the great plains, affording 
a healthy climate, fertile soil, plenty of fuel, and 
good roads to travel to market or for pleasure; 
and as the country develops will be adapted to 
nearly any calling or profession. 

What else could I do now, but come to a con- 
clusion to return home, or go to parts unknown; 
for as far as experience was concerned I had suf- 
ficient. My mind had become settled conscien- 
tiously on religious matters, governmental affairs, 
the problem between capital and labor, and things 
of minor import. 

To which once alluded, it was not long during 
my search till I had found that for a man to be sue- 



THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 177 

cessful financially, he must pursue a different course 
to that of endeavoring to bring about reforms or 
to revolutionize the world. Also to the contrary, 
I discovered that there was a great law governing 
ultimate success financially with reference to the na- 
ture of investments or business pursuances. I 
noticed that thieves and robbers invariably never 
meet with lasting success financially or that some 
misfortune or ill luck befell them in the end. 

But I kept noticing avocations of life financially 
in the various forms as they present themselves, 
and studied them. For instance, during my travel 
over the unsettled lands of the southwest, I said, 
were it a good and honest investment and money 
I was after, I would here homestead several sec- 
tions of land and let stock grow to me from these 
immense scopes of fine grass. But good invest- 
ments and property was no inducement, nothing 
could turn my mind from my original course. 
Then other investments and opportunities of a 
lawful nature, and apparently most successful 
financially, though not honest and just, presented 
themselves. These were lawful establishments and 
organizations of a nature to become enriched by 
special privileges at the expense of others. 

'Til never make an investment of this kind," 
I said, "nor be an accomplice or employee for 
wages, for I believe there is more honor in the sight 



178 THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 

of God to be a brave out-law and be enriched 
from the dishonest rich than to become enriched 
by being a lawful robber of the poor." 

That thieves and robbers do not meet with lasting 
success financially, I finally solved in this way : 

That to engage in a pursuance of this kind was 
demoralizing to the faculties necessary to conduct 
a profitable business, or in other words the facul- 
ties of the brain necessary to conduct a self sus- 
taining business and essential to man lay dormant 
and undeveloped, while those propensities akin to 
the brute creation are mostly developed; so that in 
the course of time misspeculations and misfortunes 
are the consequence. Then along with this goes 
not only the misfortunes attending prosecutions for 
the violation of the law of the country, but the 
draw back and probably retaliation in consequence 
of the ill-will and distrust of neighbors. 

In a similar way, thefts and robberies on a large 
scale and those of a national character must be re- 
garded, only the consequences are longer in ter- 
minating, and the effects then much greater. The 
misfortunes and evil effects, especially when of a 
national character, may even fall on the heirs of 
unborn generations. 

Many times have I thought of the bible where 
it says : "Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl 
for your miseries that shall come upon you." 

It seemed by this that any individual or collec- 



THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 179 

tion of individuals depending on unfair and un- 
righteous devices for support and not in a way of 
rendering services to fellow men, are upon the 
decline, and in the course of time become so de- 
moralized that calamity follows. The presence 
of this principle we can even trace into the lowest 
kingdom. In chemicals, where the atoms and 
molecules are ineffectual in doing their part as 
forces towards existence, chemical affinity prevails; 
and combustion and destruction is the consequence. 
So on down the scale until we come to individuals 
forming nations, if the system of government is 
of a demoralizing nature, eventually it saps the 
life-blood from the masses, and a catastrophe is 
the consequence; but out of the chaos will evolve 
a system grander, nobler and more beneficial to 
the people. 

Yea, this world of ours is a chemical one, of which 
I have many times thought. Truth, honesty and 
justice is power, gravity and endurance; while 
falsehood, dishonesty and injustice is corrosion, de- 
gradation and death. I many times think how true 
the expression in the bible: "The wages of sin is 
death." 

By "chemical world" I mean a oneness of law 
not dissimilar to chemicals with reference to pre- 
ternatural occurrences and mythology, and analog- 
ous thereto in cause and effect. 

Referring to the faculties of the brain necessary 



i8o THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 

to conduct a self-sustaining and profitable busi- 
ness laying dormant and undeveloped unless exer- 
cised, I will say that I have many times thought 
of myself in this respect. 

After returning to the states, it seemed that my 
efforts in various pursuances continually met with 
draw-backs; although experience having been my 
object in view, regardless of income. While in 
the stock business, for instance, I believe I was in 
the saddle longer, worried myself more in recover- 
ing strays, worked harder and longer at night and 
stormy weather, and had more patience than other 
men; yet it seemed I could not meet with the suc- 
cess others did. In Paris, in the newspaper busi- 
ness, I believe, I worked harder, sweated more 
standing up correcting and making up forms, set 
up later at night writing, and lost more sleep than 
any other newspaper man living; yet it seemed 
that I could not meet with financial success. 

The same until the present time when I have 
been engaged on a lighter scale in connection with 
teaching school, I try to work to an advantage and 
save money, but it seems I cannot meet with the 
success I should, or with the success my father did 
with the same efforts. 

Nevetheless, in the past during tober reflections 
relative to certain unavoidable happenings, my con- 
science smote me, when I righted wrong by send- 
ing money to parties damaged as I earned it, which 



THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 181 

was a drainage on my income. Undoubtedly the 
reader heard of instances of this kind where per- 
sons received money or its equal, not knowing by 
whom it was sent nor for what purpose. 

But I have now made arrangements to return 
home on a scout. Yes, I am now ready to start. 



182 THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 



CHAPTER XVII. 

"Angola! Angola!" the conductor finally called 
out as we were nearing another station. 

"This is the county seat of the county of my 
childhood, and only eight miles from the village, 
Fremont, the place of my birth," I thought, "Oh, 
how curious and sad I feel. I will sit by the window 
and look over the passengers for up the road as they 
approach the train, and see if I can recognize any 
one." 

"That man looks like one of the Michaels used 
to," I sighed, "and this man here some one called 
Scott. Can this be Duane Scott, a former school 
mate of mine, I wonder, who has grown out of my 
recognition ? 

But what if they should know me, what would I 
do ? I am not ready for this." 

Here I went to the rear, got off unobserved, and 
layed over till morning. 

Walking up town to the Hendry House, I ob- 
served that the town, which was nothing but a little 
backwoods county seat when I left, had now grown 
to be a metropolis with its electric lights, telephones, 
water works, street cars and towering steeples; and 
inhabited by a population of total strangers. 



THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 183 

In the morning, refreshed by a change of climate 
and diet, I directed my course northward in a livery 
rig — this time for Fremont, the place of my birth, 
and to me the seat of wonderment. 

"Only eight miles, about an hour's drive, and I 
will be there," I said as I left town and was looking 
abroad while the team was speeding away. 

Now we are near where Mr. Dunkle used to 
live, but I will take an indirect route and avoid 
so much travel on the county road. I will turn to 
my right and enter the village from the southeast. 

"Yonder used to be all timber land," I mur- 
mured, "but now all is under cultivation. And 
these wire fences were not here when I left, but 
rail fences in their stead. The people had never 
seen such a thing; they were entirely confined to 
the wild prairies of the west." 

But I am nearly to the village. Oh, how I 
tremble and how melancholy I feel. Yes, yonder 
is the town. What a change, houses every place! 
What else could I expect after these many years — 
twenty-seven long years. 

Here used to be the dingy dwellings of Sam 
Wolfe, but now there stands elegant buildings on 
each side of the road. And this used to be the 
farm of Joe Bricker, but the old buildings have 
been displaced with a new dwelling and large frame 
barn sufficiently elegant to do credit to the country 
about a metropolis. 



184 THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 

Ah! here is the railroad, but nothing looks nat- 
ural. There was but one house on the east side; 
now the street is lined with buildings. 

Between here and the village there was only 
a single house, now I see them in every direction. 

Here is where the Evangelical church used to 
stand. Yes, there are some of the maple trees, that 
used to be on the west side, though so much larger, 
which I used to look at with weariness and monot- 
ony through the window during the long sermons 
at services ; but now there is a new and larger build- 
ing in place of the old one. 

I will now turn south and see if I can find the 
house where we used to live. Yes, yonder is a 
house that looks like the one of my father did. 
Indeed, there are the high steps on the north adjoin- 
ing the porch, and the large oak tree which used to 
stand on the opposite side of the road to the north 
and in front of Mr. Merven's is still there, and also 
the houses of the widow Shupp and Mr. Dewey on 
the opposite corners to the east, which still look nat- 
ural. Yes, unmistakably, this is the old home. 

But alas! Am I like the prodigal son returning 
to my father's house ? No, not like he ; for I never 
received my portion, nor spent it in riotous living, 
but made the rounds through my own exertion. 

Ay! I will drive by and see if there is any sign of 
life. Yonder by the stable, a woman is crossing the 
street. See ! she is an elderly lady, with grey hair. 
What! can this be my sister, who after these many 



THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 185 

years of cares over the household and worry over 
her youngest brother, has grown grey? O, to God 
that I should have been such a deserter and way- 
farer ! 

But I see no signs of my father ! Where can he 
be ? Oh, where can be my dear father ! But I must 
not call aloud ; for if still alive, he is old and feeble. 
No, I must not impart the knowledge of my return 
to them abruptly, the shock would be too depres- 
sive. But I will drive on for I feel so dejected in 
hope and spirit. Yes, I will drive away and shed 
tears, for I feel them thick and heavy within the 
lids of my eyes, and my spirits may then again 
brighten. 

But here is a new lane turning south! I will 
turn in, and drive around back of the village grave 
yard. 

Yes, here it is. Oh, the idea of entering makes 
me feel so sad, for I know I will find the remains of 
near relatives embosomed, who have died during 
my absence. 

I will first go to the place where my mother was 
buried. But her tomb is no more. What can this 
mean. There are other and more elegant tombs in 
its place! Who can be buried here? I will get 
closer and read the inscription. 

Frederick Straw, died February 12, 1893. 

My father! my father!! O my God! my God!! 
Can it be that he has bffcn dead these twelve years 
and I shall never see his face again! 



i86 THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 

But what else could I expect after remaining 
away for a generation. Oh, could I but once more 
enjoy the blessing of his presence. 

I will recline upon the grave and weep. 

O, my God! what grave could contain such a 
father and mother. What sepulcher to me could 
embosom the remains of so much human excellence 
and glory! But I must not cry aloud for yonder 
is a man who might hear me and come over and en- 
quire what is wrong. 

•But my time is short; I will arise and look over 
the graves of others. I fail to find other near 
relatives, besides I can hardly read the inscrip- 
tions for the tears in my eyes; I will drive on to 
the lower grave yard while I regain my composure, 
and see what discoveries I can make thither. 

"Two miles south and I will be at the place," 
I murmered as I climbed in the buggy and directly 
was speeding by the depot to the south. 

Yonder across the field is the place of our old 
home, but some changes seem to have been made, 
and the distance appears so much less than it used 
to. The dwelling now looks old and dingy, but 
there are two red barns in the place of the former 
one. On yonder hill we used to coast down hill, 
but now there is an orchard of large apple trees 
at the place, which was set out and grown since 
I left. 



THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 187 

Here is where the house stood around the turn 
of the road across the fields that was burned after 
my father favored the tramp the neighbors would 
not keep; but another house has been built in its 
place. 

In the next house is where my brother-in-law, 
J. P. Isenhower, lived before moving to the village 
and entering the merchantile business ; though, I see 
the house has been enlarged and overhauled. 

Next in going south, I used to come to the grave 
yard; but a house has sprung up since, I notice. 
Though yonder on the hill the grave yard is com- 
ing in sight. Yes, and below the hill is the lake 
from which the cemetery derived its name, Lake 
View Cemetery. 

But oh, this beautiful grove of pines and ever- 
greens! What a change. If they were set out 
when I left, they were too small to be noticed ; now 
they are tall spiring trees over a foot in diameter. 

I remember the interment of no one particular 
here, so I will begin and overlook the tombs as 
I come to them. 

Almond J. Hardenbrook, died February 22, 1885. 
I knew no one by this name. 

Harriet S., wife of R. E. Doster, died, 1895, born 
1824. What! is this the mother of John, one of 
my playmates in my boyhood ? 

Goff — daughter — Emma F., died 1881. This 



188 THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 

must be one of my school mates whom I survive 
these twenty-four years. And here lies another, 
formerly a playmate and afterwards a chum in 
school, whom I survive. But what else could be 
expected of him. For I remember he had given 
away to the alluring cup in his youth, before the 
effects of which he must have succumbed like house 
plants wither and die when watered with the same 
liquids. 

Ah ! here lies the remains of a man of the same 
name upon whom public suspicion rested in our 
village as a safe-blower and robber before my de- 
parture. O my God! surely no such suspicion has 
rested upon me during these many years of my 
strange wandering. Oh, how can there, after my 
dutiful conduct to my parents, my generosity to my 
brother and sister, my kindness and uprightness to 
my friends and acquaintance! O God forbid! I 
had rather be dead and relegated into oblivion for 
ever than to let this be the impression. Alas! will 
I be under the guidance of Ostler and commit self- 
destruction and avoid any risk? Aye! this would 
not better conditions and would be cowardice, and 
the greatest of all crimes. Besides, I am conscien- 
tious; and, then, this man was demented and un- 
balanced, otherwise he would never have advanced 
such frenzies. 

But what can the impression be that has become 
of me? Indeed, it must be mysterious! Oh, why 



THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 189 

have I done so? Aye! even to me it is a mystery. 
My past history seems like a dream and appears 
that I have just awakened from a lethargy and 
now upon my return. 

O, my God! have I like Xerxes, wrecked my 
youthful hopes by vain ambition ? Yea ! let it be as 
it may, I shall not like he give up my later years in 
dissipation and idle carousals. 

But there seems none to come under my observa- 
tion who are akin to me. I will walk further across 
and look. 

Elizabeth, wife of J. P. Isenhower, died Decem- 
ber, 14, 1893. Alas! this is a sister of mine who 
has been dead eleven years. Ah! it is so sad that 
her children and husband should have been left thus 
in mourning. 

But night is approaching. I will go back to 
the county seat and in the morning take a drive 
east by the house and farm of my oldest brother, 
Elias, where he used to live, and then visit his fam- 
ily grave yard, where his son Johnny, my nephew, 
was buried when I was a boy. 

It is now morning, and I am again on my way. 
The timber lands are nearly all cleared up, it looks 
like the prairies in cultivation in the west. Along 
here used to be fields on each side full of stumps 
but they have all disappeared. 

But that wagon passing, loaded with jar like 
cans; what can they be for? Oh, I understand. 



190 THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 

The milk is gathered up over the country in them 
and taken to the creamery; another thing brought 
about since I left. 

The clay roads here, which used to be nearly im- 
passable, have been heaped up and graveled since 
I left, and now afford good travel. 

There are new and different houses to what there 
used to be along the road, and the distance between 
them appears to be but a step to what it used to. 
Oh, how strange everything looks ! And the people 
I meet going to town are all strangers to me. 

Ah ! there is something coming with considerable 
speed over yonder hill. What can it be? It looks 
like a hand car only it is boxed up around, and the 
persons don't go up and down to make it go like 
they used to. Oh, I see ; it is an automobile. Had 
people met this in the road when I left, they would 
have thought it was the tender of a train that run 
off the track and coming down the road. 

Here used to stand the log cabin of the old gen- 
tleman, Isenhower, the father of my brother-in-law ; 
but other buildings have taken their place; and the 
thick woods adjacent to his farm has all been cleared 
away. 

Just a half mile ahead on the corner of the road 
is where the school house of my brother used to 
stand ; and a few hundred yards around to the road 
is where he had his residence. 

Yes, I see buildings in that direction now, which 
must be the place. Ah, here is a school house, but it 



THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 191 

is not the little one as it used to be; it is a larger 
one and of brick. And yonder is the same two story 
house Elias lived in the last time I was here; but 
instead of a log barn, as there used to be, there is 
now a large frame one. 

Lo ! I see some people standing around about ! It 
will not do for me to tarry, nor be too observant; 
I will go over to the place where his children were 
buried and see what additions the Lord saw fit to 
make during my absence. 

John H., son of E. and C. Straw, died July 20, 
1 871; aged 12 years, 8 mo., nd. Yes, this is the 
lot of my brother; this is the grave of Johnny, my 
nephew. Had he lived, he would now be forty-six 
years of age. I heard my mother say, I was three 
days the older; that would make me be born No- 
vember 1 2th, 1858. 

O God ! how fleet the years do pass ; it seems only 
a little while since we were little boys together. But 
I feel as young and gay as I did in my 'teens the day 
I left home. I am up in years, though I am strong 
in constitution and preservation, and the likelihood 
of my longevity the same as that of others in start- 
ing from youth. Yea! the longevity of persons of 
sobriety and determination and of temperate par- 
ents may be likened to the longevity of the pine and 
the oak — the pine withers away while the oak en- 
dureth many years thereafter. 

But here are other graves to what there were 
wheij I was last here. 



192 THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 

Elias Straw, died November 21, 1892. 

Oh! can it be that my oldest brother, like my 
father has too died since my departure! Oh, how 
many the lapse of time does bear over the river of 
life! While this I might have expected, still I was 
lot able to comprehend its reality nor realize its 
gravity. 

But I must be on my way. I will now return my 
rig, and take my leave for my abode in the west. 

But alas! I failed thus far to find the graves of 
my brothers, George and Benjamin, and that of my 
sister Amanda. They are either still alive or have 
drifted far away and were buried elsewhere. I 
will do so through an enquiry about them in con- 
nection with other affairs, and see if I can locate 
them. 

With a sigh of relief, after solving the query, I 
murmered, "so they are still alive — George and 
sister still living at the village of my birth and 
Benjamin at Coldwater, Michigan. ,, 

Yes, I will now again return to the west, and 
then after reflection, send my history first to brother 
Benjamin; for I must be cautions not to make my- 
self known to the living of my relatives too abruptly. 



THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 193 



CHAPTER XVIIL 

"There is mail in the other room for you, Mr. 
Walker brought out." 

It was Mrs. T. G. Walker that was talking and 
was addressed to me. 

It had now been some time since I had taken my 
trip to the east, and I was making arrangements 
to have my history put in print as rapidly as I could. 

As I was glancing the letters over, I noticed on 
one the return request read : "If not called for in 
ten days return to Box 15, Fremont, Indiana." 

"Why, this is from my home town," I gasped, 
in a room by myself, "what can it mean?" I will 
recline upon the bed, for it is so curious that it makes 
me feel fainty. Now I will open and read it: 

Fremont, Ind., Dec. 5, 1905. 
A. P. A. Straiho, Endee, New Mexico. 

Dear Sir: We heard through Lawyer Melendy 
that you wrote him a letter enquiring about Fred- 
erick and George Straw. And I thought that per- 
haps you might be a brother of mine who has been 
gone so many years. 



194 THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 

If you are my brother, I beg of you to come 
home; for all of us would be so very glad to see 
your face once more. 

Sister Manda, brother Benjamin and myself are 
all that are left of our family. 

Please answer by return mail. 

Respectfully, 

G. W. Straw. 



It would be hard to imagine what queer and sud- 
den feelings came over me. It was a kind of 
anxiety mingled with sorrow and gladness — sorrow 
for having caused so much trouble of mind among 
my relatives, gladness as I felt that my welcome 
upon my return would be infallible, and of course 
now anxious to return home as quickly as possible. 
Indeed, never before could I realize the gravity of 
my past actions until now as my mind was reflect- 
ing back along my life's pathway. So I immediately 
wrote the following letter, which explains itself. 

Endee, New Mexico, Dec. 14, 1905. 
G. W. Straw, Fremont, Indiana. 

Dear Brother : I received your welcome letter 
yesterday. Yes, I am your brother ; and I read your 
letter with a trembling hand. Thereupon, I will 
send you herewith a sketch of my past history. 



THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 195 

It must indeed be a mystery to you why your 
brother should have wandered away, and remained 
abroad these many years. But undoubtedly you 
must have been observant, as I am now, that be- 
fore leaving I was wild and endowed with a spirit 
of restlessness. Wild and restless, not to do evil 
nor calculated to injure persons in life or property, 
but to be venturesome and learn the ways of the 
world. For you know from yourself and the 
record of the family that it is not in our blood 
to be doers of evil nor breakers of law and order. 
But I have no apologies to offer except the history 
of my life which I present to you. 

It does look hard, brother, that I should have 
treated you all as I did, after you were so good to 
me — you was always as kind to me as a brother 
could be, Amanda like a mother to me after mother 
died, Benjamin never cross to me, and father al- 
ways managed to have me surrounded with all the 
blessings and luxuries for which a boy could wish. 

You may know from the writing I send you that 
I had not only come to the conclusion to return 
home, but had made arrangements to this end. The 
way I came to write to Lawyer Melendy, I had re- 
turned from a scout to that country, such as sug- 
gested in the introductory . of my history, and had 
used your and father's names in connection with 
names of strangers as a research into matters I had 
neglected. My intention was to have my history 



ig6 THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 

first printed and send a copy to brother Benjamin, 
as I had already determined who were among the 
living and the dead, which was the saddest day's ex- 
perience of my life. I had this manuscript type- 
written, and had just sent it to the publishers, a 
letter from whom I enclose, which also may furnish 
some explanation. 

All this happening in the way it has, I shall now 
be back home some time in January. I have man- 
aged to keep myself free from nuptial and other en- 
tanglements so that at any time I could fly where- 
soever I wished. 

Tell Amanda to rest easy, not worry, all will 
come right. As to Benjamin, if he is as he used to 
be, nothing will bother him. 

There are things in connection with my life that 
may seem nearly incredible to you, but you may 
know I give it straight as I mention it in a way 
which leaves it open for investigation. 

I wrote this history nearly all while I was 
herding my sheep on the would-be measa last sum- 
mer. 

As soon as I return home I expect to use my 
right name again, though, I prefer spelling it as 
I used to when attending school — Straugh. Under- 
stand, I had a right to go under assumed names 
from the fact that I had been more or less con- 
stantly enlisted in the detective service. 

I will add that you may know I am a man of 



THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 197 

good reputation, otherwise I could not have gotten 
the schools which I have taught. Next week I will 
send you my photograph I had taken some time ago, 
which I have not with me at this writing. I will 
not start home till I hear from you again. 

Hoping you are well, I am respectfully, your 
brother, A. P. A. Straiho. 



THE REPLY. 

Fremont, Ind v Dec. 21, 1905. 

Dear Brother : Your letter received, also man- 
uscript. You can imagine the tears that were shed 
for joy this afternoon when your letter was read. 
We will have to kill the fattest calf and prepare for 
your return as did the parents of the Prodigal Son. 
You dont' know how glad we all are to know that 
you are alive, and will soon be home. You can not 
come too soon. 

Manda lives at the same old home that she did 
when you went away; and I built a house here in 
town in which we live. Well, I will not write more, 
for I hope to see you soon. Your affectionate 
brother, George. 



January is now half gone, and I must be on my 
journey to my people ; for I wrote that I would be 
there no later than the twentieth. I will go to En- 
dee and take the stage for Tucumcari. 



198 THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 

Now I am at St. Louis — now at LaFayette. Here 
I entered a telegraph office and sent a dispatch to 
my brother as follows, and as I had promised. 

LaFayette, Ind., Jan. 19th, 1906. 
G. W. Straw, Fremont, Ind. 

Will be at Fremont on the 1 130 train tomorrow 
afternoon. Your brother, A. P. A. Straiho. 

Now I am at Ft. Wayne — now at Angola. 

But here is some one that passed me going 
through the train looking at every passenger, I will 
follow him. 

"If he wouldn't be so fleshy/' I thought, "I might 
take him to be my brother George." 

"Isn't this G. W. Straw?" I finally demanded. 

"Yes, and this is Philip. I wouldn't have known 
you any more. I went to Ft. Wayne purpose to 
meet you, but I begin to think you wasn't on the 
train," was the reply. 

"Do you know this woman," he continued, re- 
ferring me to a middle aged and rather tall lady 
by our side, wearing a pair of gold rimmed spec- 
tacles. "It is Eva Isenhower, your niece." 

"What, can it be Eva, the little four-year-old, 
curly-headed girl when I left, now a grown up 
woman like this!" I ejaculated. 

Oh, what a change! 

"Sister Amanda and my wife Laura will be at 



THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 199 

the station to meet us," George again said as the 
train again moved on from Angola. "You needn't 
look for my wife to be an old woman — she is young 
yet," he added. 

"Oh, Manda and Laura's hearts, I know, are 
now going pitty-pat over Philip coming,' ' Eva in- 
terrupted as we were coming in sight of the town. 

Oh, what strange feelings came over me during 
our ride from the county seat to my home town — 
the strangest of all strange feelings. It is not like 
a person having been gone this length of time when 
everybody knows where he has been and what he 
has been doing. "How will my sister look and ap- 
pear?" I thought. "I presume she is an old maid 
and careworn over the mysterious disappearance of 
her brother, of whom she thought so much. And 
how will the people act towards me after so long 
and strange an absence?" 

All this time I was too interested to be seated. 
Yes, my mind was so absorbed that the people sur- 
rounding me were of no more significance than had 
I been surrounded by so many trees. 

"This must be my sister," I sighed, walking 
away from the train, as an elderly lady, accom- 
panied with one of her junior and a little girl ap- 
proached me. "And this is George's wife and little 
girl Beulah," I added. 

It is in place to say that everybody displayed 
towards me a great manifestation of welcome, 



200 THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 

which was equally appreciated. A number of old ac- 
quaintances and a few school mates I met on the 
way but had they not been introduced we would not 
have recognized each other. "Ho ! you Spaniard 
you," Lawyer Melendy said as I met him crossing 
the street, "I know you." 

"Why, he used to have such a fair complexion, 
and light hair, I thought," I would hear them say, 
"now he has a dark complexion and black hair." 

Arriving at my brother George's, I found him 
living in a handsome eight-room cottage, lit up by 
electric lights, the rooms heated by a furnace from 
below, and nicely furnished and of the latest con- 
veniences. I feel like speaking of this since it is 
such a contrast to the torch light convenience of 
caves and the hovels and dugouts of frontier life 
to which I had been accustomed. 

"Do you think my wife was worth stealing?" 
he finally ejaculated, after some familiarity with 
her and the premises. 

"I must congratulate you upon your ability to 
capture such a beautiful girl as she must have been 
when you married, inasmuch that there are so many 
years difference in your ages and she having been 
a young accomplished school ma'am of exemplary 
character. You must be specially gifted to have 
had such influence at your command. Her reputa- 
tion, not only, but her actions show that she is a 
good woman. With such a wife and little girl 



^HE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 201 

and with your surroundings, I see no reason why 
you should not be a man of a happy family." 

"But you say, brother Fred died and was buried 
in California. ,, 

"Yes, he died several years ago. During late years 
he appeared to have been very successful financially 
and died in Southern California in the real estate 
business." 

He had one boy, Roy, born to him by his first 
wife, and two, Frank and Dallas, by his second 
wife. Roy having been born before I left, but the 
last two were born and grew up since. 

I will now go and visit with sister Amanda. I 
found her married to a union soldier, William 
Bricker, having married shortly after father died. 
To my surprise, she did not look as old as I expect- 
ed, having fleshed up after marriage. 

"Everything looks nice enough," I said after a 
time, as I walked into the parlor, where I noticed 
that my selection of books of my youth and boyhood 
were neatly and conspicuously arranged on a bric- 
a-brac gotten for the purpose after I left. 

"Yes," she said, some one after father died, 
thought that we might as well sell your books ; but 
I said no, he placed them in my charge when he left 
and I will keep them, for if he should ever come 
back again, they will be here for him." 

"Oh, I had forgotten all about them, I never ex- 
pected to see them again." 



202 THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 

And oh such reminiscence that came to my mind 
as I leaf them over. 

Here is Phillipus A. Stramentum written in near- 
ly every book. This is my name I had translated 
into Latin, and had never thought any more about 
it from that day to this. 

But here is a picture hanging on the wall, can it be 
me before leaving they had since framed ? I would 
never have recognized it any more. Oh, how wild 
it looks to me now. But here is a history of Steuben 
county among my books, published in 1885 and 
after I left, I notice gives a sketch of the family 
of my father. It speaks favorable of him as a man 
of ability and integrity ; and mentions my name also. 
I will read what it says about me: 

"His youngest son, Philip A., is a lecturer of 
wide repute, at present traveling in Africa. He 
has had a fine education and being a fluent speaker 
and of natural talent he charms his audiences, and 
his services are in constant demand." 

Aha! this makes me think of the one who fol- 
lowed me out once after a lecture and said they 
all thought well of my lecture but were to cowardly 
to acknowledge it. Though a great trouble with 
my lectures then, I can see it now, was that in show- 
ing up the absurdities, I did not give sufficient in 
its place. So to say, I could only see through a 
glass darkly. 

"What did father seem to think when he quit 



THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 203 

hearing from me?" I asked. 

"Oh, he thought it couldn't be. He thought so 
much of you. Whenever new preachers would 
come, he would take them to the parlor and show 
them your picture, saying it was the picture of his 
youngest son and that he heard from him last from 
Key West Island years ago, and thought he must 
have been drowned while on the ocean." 

"It's awful hard, sister, for me to think about, and 
were it not for the old adage that a father should 
train up his son in the way he should go, and that 
I am conscientious in my actions, I don't know what 
I'd do. But I can't see any possible chance that it 
could have been avoided. Why, I used to be as 
restless as a fish out of water." 

"But did you enjoy yourself while thus away?" 

"Oh I hardly know what to say, my mind having 
been so absorbed with different things. Sometimes 
I would engage in games of cards just to draw my 
mind from them which tended to bother me." 

"How could you do such a thing — play cards — 
while we were here at home crying half the night 
wondering what became of you ?" 

But some one is ringing the door-bell. As Manda 
is out, I will go and open. 

A rather tall and slightly careworn man stood 
at the door. He was noticeably careful though not 
faltering in his speech, and appeared slow in press- 
ing his business. 



204 THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 






"Come in," I said after he stood for an instant. 
In so doing, I began to recognize features in his 
physique as that of my brother Benjamin. 

"You're my brother, Benjamin, are you not?" I 
said. 

"Can this be Philip?" he sighed. "I would not 
have recognized you." 

That he should have come from Coldwater ex- 
pressly to see me and where he knew I was at and 
then not recognize me is a rare occurrence. 

But I will now visit with him at Coldwater. I 
found him pleasantly situated, living with his wife 
Ella and one child, a daughter, Lillian by name, in 
her seventeenth year. 

The first thing noticeable was his small family, 
comparatively considering. 

"What," I thought, 'have my brothers been ob- 
servant of the prophecy of Malthus, who a century 
ago startled the world by depicting the horrors 
which would follow over-population; or is it merely 
a matter of propriety and a means to other ends." 

In our conversation, strange things presented 
themselves. 

You say, brother, several years ago a runner was 
sent up from the Arlington to enquire about your 
missing brother. 

"Who could this have been," I thought. "Was it 
a man in whose hands that letter might have fallen 
when I deserted the boys and in passing through 
enquired about me?" 



THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 205 

"We heard from you once, and that you wasn't 
dead," Ella finally interrupted. 

"What, heard from me, how is that?" 

"Yes, we heard from you through a gypsy for- 
tune teller. I was curious to know what she would 
say. So I paid the fees and asked her to tell what 
she could about you. She put her head down and 
said. 'He is yet alive. He is a little lame. He 
loves to hunt and shoot; but he is well educated. 
Yes, I see him now. He is standing up and has a 
gun.'" 

"There was great danger in going about with 
those fellows as you did," she continued, "and took 
much daring." 

"Yes, indeed, but what was that to me. Had it 
not been for being from a good family and having 
a balanced mind, I presume I would have done as 
many others when those questions presented them- 
selves for solution, committed self-destruction, and 
what is danger to a suicide. Why ! there have been 
times in my history that I prayed to God I could 
die." 

"Oh, there was so much difference in the charac- 
teristics of you and my brother Elgin," she again 
added, "he had his picture taken when selling wash- 
ing machines — you went in disguise." 

Ah, the many changes I notice in the city of Cold- 
water! When I left, there could be noticed little 
evergreens and small shade trees set out by the 
people up and down the different streets. Now they 



206 THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 

are avenues with towering trees and appears like a 
city built up in a woods with the many trees left 
standing about to afford an abundance of shade 
during the sweltering time of summer. 

But I have now visited all the living of our fam- 
ily. There is father, my brothers Elias and Fred, 
my sisters Annie and Elizabeth, and Annie's hus- 
band, Rev. B. F. Wade, all died since I left. 

I will now visit with the husband of my sister 
Elizabeth, J. P. Isenhower, and my living nieces, 
Lamora, Sara and Eva, Ida having died during my 
absence. 

"I can tell it is Philip as I view you from the 
side," Mr. Isenhower said as he walked around 
gazing at me attentively. 

"Amanda showed you the valise sent us years 
ago from Mexico found in a cave, did she not, con- 
taining your diary and other things/' he continued 
after an interval. 

"Yes," I replied, "though I had forgotten all 
about it; but upon opening the valise and seeing a 
dog-collar, it all came back to my mind. It was a 
valise in which I carried cartridges about; and it 
having become worn at the bottom, I used it for 
other trinkets, and one day put in a dog-collar and 
that was the last I remember of it. We were camp- 
ing out in the wilds and I had picked up a large dog 
for the camp for which I had bought a leather 
collar." 



THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 207 

But oh my nieces. What a change in their ap- 
pearance and surrounding; all except Eva having 
married since I left and now have grown up child- 
ren — Lamora three boys and a girl, Sara one girl 
and a boy, and Ida two boys — all born and grown 
up during my absence. 

Indeed, it seems like arising from the dead after 
a generation and returning again. Should by some 
mechanical device our universe at this moment be 
turned forward and present to them the husbands 
and wives of their children with their families 
of grown boys and girls the panorama would be 
no more novel to them than this is to me now. 

"No telling what change in my life it would have 
caused, had I came to you when you wrote for me 
from Eureka Springs, Arkansas, while at Ashland, 
Wisconsin," Mr. Powers, the husband of Lamora 
said after a time — "no telling, I might not be your 
nephew by marriage and the father of these child- 
ren. But I am glad you came back Phil. Your 
people worried about you a long time. And I 
must say they are a good people you came back to. 
There is your brother George and wife, and your 
sister Amanda — no better people the world ever 
needs. If the world was composed of such people 
we wouldn't need any laws, criminal laws especial- 

iy" 

Making my narrative short, I will next visit my 
nephews, the children of my oldest brother — Wil- 



208 THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 

liam, Albert, Granville, George, Harvey, and Her- 
my; Hermy having been born and grown up to 
manhood since I left; and none of the boys were 
grown when I left except William, who had just 
married. Katy, their mother, I found married 
again, married to a Mr. Brown. I found them all 
married except Hermy, and of families of children. 

"You don't look much like you did," William 
interrupted, "though leaving in your youth and 
away these many years, twenty-seven, was it not, 
what else could be expected. "I well remember 
when I last saw you," he continued. "I had just 
been married, and was living up stairs at my 
fathers-in-law w r hen you had returned from a trip 
and made us a visit; when shortly afterwards you 
left again and was never more heard from, which 
makes it twenty-seven years according to my reck- 
oning." 

"Yes, I made a number of trips in that time before 
I left to stay, and I was of the same impression as 
you that my last visit home was in 1879, though 
some think I was back again in the summer of 
'80. For I know it was some time before that 
when I was down in Texas and was writing home 
as though at college at Ann Arbor, Michigan, 
having mailed my letters on trains to mislead in 
postmarks. And I don't think I staid at Ann Arbor 
over a week after I had been matriculated. 

But here are several letters from my nieces of 
Kansas to my sister relating to me, I will read : 



THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 209 

Newton, Kansas, Feb. 2, 1906 
Dear Aunt Amanda: The news of today's 
mail that Uncle Philip is alive and safe at home is 
so surprising to us all. I can not control my feel- 
ings and thoughts. Is it and can it be true? The 
lost one we mourned for as dead is safe. What a 
sigh of relief. When I first heard the news today 
the thought struck me, "Poor mother, she don't 
know it, we can't tell her the news." She worried 
over her lost brother so much. Where could he 
have been all these years? What an awful change 
he found on his return home. I can not think of 
anything else but of him this afternoon. Well how 
glad we all are. And tell him for us, we want him 
to come and see us all in Kansas. We wish to 
see him so much. * * * * * 

Did you know Uncle when you first saw him? I 
would like to ask a hundred questions, how it all 
happened ; but I will not tire you too much. With 
best wishes and love to all, I remain as ever your 
niece, Clara J. Darling. 



Newton, Kansas, Feb. 2, 1906. 

129 W. S. 3rd St. 

Dear Aunt : Your letter is just received. Never 

were we so surprised in our lives as to hear the 

news of Uncle Philip coming home. Is it possible 

that it is Uncle Philip? It is too good to be true. 



210 THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 

Aunt Laura has not sent paper with article about 
him, at least we never got it. * * * * 
Some one write at once and tell us about him, and 
send paper. Your loving niece, 

Manda Harrison. 



Newton, Kansas, Feb. 2, 1906. 
221 Main Street. 
Mrs. W. Brickerj Fremont, Ind. 

Dear Aunt: Manda got a letter that Uncle 
Philip came home. It seems it can not be true. 
But oh! how glad we are, no one knows, for all it 
was a shock to us. We are so anxious to hear 
all about him. * * * * * * 

And oh ! I do hope we can see him too. How we 
have wondered and wondered about him. 

I remain your niece, Mattie L. Winger. 



Newton, Kansas, Feb. 3, 1906. 

214 South West 3rd St. 

Dear Aunt Amanda: We are all overjoyed 

to hear that Uncle Philip was back again. I guess 

none of us ever expected to hear from him again, 

for I am sure I never did. How we would all like 

to see him once again. I suppose he is getting quite 

gray, having been gone so long. * * * 

Good bye, and love to all, I remain your niece, 

Maggie Behm. 



THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 211 

These are my sister Annie's children, who have 
married and live in Kansas. There are four girls, 
Clara, Mattie, Manda and Maggie; and two boys, 
Jerome and Fred. Their father was a minister of 
the gospel and was constantly abroad on different 
circuits so that I failed to be with them in my 
youth like the rest of the family. 

Great changes I also observe among others than 
my relatives. 

"You say that is the daughter of Willy Garn?" 
quoth I as a married lady was pointed out to me one 
night at the opera. Why? I remember, just before 
leaving, I and that boy were out a squirrel hunting 
together and he was just a gosling of a thing and 
I don't think ever had looked at a girl, and now is 
a married man with a grown up and married daugh- 
ter! 

Equal changes have likewise taken place in the 
physical nature of things, and social, religious and 
political as well, of which I will speak in the con- 
cluding chapter, 



212 THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 



CHAPTER XIX. 

"This used to be a scope of miry marsh and 
swamps, virulent cesspools for breeding chills and 
fever when I left," I said, as we were driving along 
to the east of the village, "but it has all been tiled 
since and now is a black, loamy region dotted with 
farm houses and barns." 

How different it looks now! All about, on the 
old homestead as well, were similar swamps and 
ponds, most of which have been tiled and drained, 
and now instead of generators of malaria, grow 
the richest of crops; and the much dreaded ague 
is a thing of the past. 

This is not all. These places not only, but mere 
hollows and valleys, I see have noticeably been fill- 
ing up by the sediment washing from off the hills. 
What a change therefore in the course of time in 
the future, the hills wearing away and filling up 
the depressions, a leveling of the country, a change 
taking place I had not thought of before. Nor had 
I thought in my youth that these swamps and ponds 
could be drained so effectually. Little did I think 
that they were a concatenation of swamps and hol- 
lows reaching to lakes and rivers, so that they could 



THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 213 

be tiled from one to another and thus drained from 
the country. And I notice that this clearing up of 
the forest and reclamation of the swamps and 
marshes has its bearing on the climate; the weather 
is not so sultry any more, but changes brought about 
making it more like the plains of the west, and 
possibly in the future make the country more sub- 
ject to droughts. 

But there are not as many people here in the 
country according to the land tilled and work done 
as there were when I left! Oh, I see; it is the 
gradual trend of the population from the country 
to the cities and towns I have noticed before. The 
application of new machinery to agriculture causes 
a less demand for laborers in the country and a 
greater demand in towns and cities where such ma- 
chinery is manufactured. And there is an inflow 
of wealthier and retired people from country to 
towns and cities on account of conveniences and 
social amusements. 

These coming cities of the future makes me think 
of the treatise on government I had written — the 
government of the future cities must be adjusted to 
the new and different conditions brought on, other- 
wise it will threaten the existence of our free in- 
stitutions, the corrupt element control the cities, and 
then the country, state and national affairs. 

Ah! here comes a man on the street 1 will stop 
and see. It is Mr. Pannebaker. "What ! is this the 



214 THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 

man I met a year ago by the graveyard when I was 
looking for the dead among my people/' I thought. 
I was out of mood then and probably said more to 
him than I should have said. 

"The graveyard looks fearful ragged it seems to 
me/' I said. "Here they have decoration days but 
the graveyards don't show it. Where I am from 
they don't have them, but the graveyards look better 
than this." 

But I will next look up the churches and go 
among the different church people and see what 
changes have taken place. Here is the Congrega- 
tional Church, but it stands vacant now. A church 
without a preaeher. What does this mean ? Is there 
now a lack of interest in religious matters in the 
town of my boyhood the same as I find in the 
cities? In the large cities I found over half the 
population that never pretend to go to church and 
others who manifestly have lost their sincerity ; and 
statistics show that the tendency is constantly in 
this direction, and drifting towards pharisaism. 

I will attend the services in the churches with 
pastors and investigate this still more; Rev. Ren- 
ner being the pastor of the Evangelical Church and 
Rev. Reichelderfer of the Methodist. 

"It is with pleasure that I meet with pastors 
of the church of my parents," I said, as I shook 
hands with Rev. Renner. "I do not wish to con- 
trary you in your religious convictions if you think 



THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 215 

you are doing good," I continued. "But while I 
want to do what is right, I can believe in such things 
only that will stand tests in the future, such that 
are philosophical and lasting." 

Yes, after investigation, I found the same mani- 
festation of disinterest in religious matters here as 
elsewhere. In my boyhood, churches were crowded 
with scholars and young people from all classes, but 
I found only a few of them at services now; and 
there is more going fishing and to places of resort 
on Sunday than there used to be. Then again so 
many of those that profess, show by their actions 
that they themselves believe not in what they ad- 
vocate. The sermons of "fire and brimstone and 
Jesus Christ and his resurrection from the dead" 
cease to be a scare-crow among them. A new relig- 
ion, rid of superstition and preached in a practical 
way and in harmony with the sciences, or essence 
of the true God, is what is wanted now. The cur- 
rent religion has not kept pace with the material 
civilization of the world. As man advances in civ- 
ilization, he rises to purer and more comprehensive 
conception of God and religion; and, it does seem 
to me that the preachers should be ingenious enough 
to interpret the bible in a way that is in conformity 
to these never changing laws of the true God and 
Creator, and adjust their doctrine to the new civ- 
ilization. This condition as it is today is a clear 
case of the blind leading the blind. 



2i6 THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 

But I must stop. My brother says Rev. Reichel- 
derfer is coming over to see me. 

"I must not insult him now in his belief," I 
thought, "for it is not only ill manners, but a duty 
of man to man to give one another the right to their 
own convictions if they can not agree. And besides, 
I have found that those who think everybody is 
wrong except themselves and do not extend this 
right, bear watching." 

Yes, there he comes now. He is bound to be a 
smart man or he could not direct his prayers to 
the point at all occasions as he does, and I am glad 
he is coming. 

"Don't you think that that which is known as 
'heartfelt religion/ as generally called, is nothing 
more than a kind of a reflex action or emotional feel- 
ing brought on by a guilty conscience giving way to 
an acknowledgment and endeavor to do better," I 
said after a time. "Although I never belonged to 
church, I remember instances of myself, after en- 
gaging in things my conscience smote me, and after 
getting the consent of my mind to retract and do 
different, a wonderful feeling of satisfaction would 
come over me and such a pleasing change that I 
would feel like shouting aloud." 

But I must make my narratives short. My 
brother George is going to the lake prospecting to 
build another cottage, he says, having sold the one 
he had. 



THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 217 

"A cottage at the lake ! Why, what can he want 
with it?" I thought. He then explained that now 
cottages are built in the groves encircling all the 
large lakes where people make it their summer 
homes to fish and as places of resort. 

"I am anxious to see them/' I said, "so I will 
ride out with him." 

"Yes, this is Lake George," I said to myself, 
after passing through Jamestown and entering the 
woods along the lake back of the old mill pond. 

Ah! it looked not as it used to. Here, when a 
boy, I used to camp about with parties in tents 
and wagons drawing piscatorial and hunting expe- 
ditions. I remember, the woods then was full with 
different kind of squirrels, and the boys would save 
all the tails of the squirrels they killed during the 
encampment; and upon our homeward way have 
them tied to the poles, harness and wagon wheels, 
and fluttering in the air as we went. Now the 
woods have been cut away except in mere groves, 
and the signs of squirrels are no more. And the 
places the boys used to pitch their tents, there now 
are respectable cottages attended with barns and 
outhouses. They are empty now, but in wait to be 
occupied by their owners and people of leisure 
during the coming season of out-door recreation. 

I will now cross the lake. There is a man they 
call Sam Lint. When he was a boy they were near 
neighbors; and, although he was older than I, we 



218 THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 

used to go hunting and fishing together. I will 
step over and see him. 

"Well, this is Philip/' he said. "After the re- 
port came back years ago that you was killed, I 
never expected to see you again/' "Many changes 
took place since you left," he continued. "I know 
the time when I could have bought this land along 
the shore for a dollar and a half an acre; now it is 
selling for seventy-five dollars a lot." 

"Yes, yonder are springs where a party and I 
had camped to hunt and fish a while before leaving," 
I said, "when there was nothing here but woods 
and thickets, and now there are elegant cottages 
built along the beach and is a place of resort." 

But I have not given my views on religion yet. 
I must do so or I would not be giving a full sketch 
of my history. Yes, I will do this, for seeing some 
inevitable changes for the good of humanity that are 
impending, I must put forth efforts to help adjust 
it. Besides, it is unquestionably the duty of all up- 
right and liberty loving citizens to give expression 
to their honest convictions, for would it not have 
been for this in the past we would still be brewing 
in heathenism. With reference to myself and the 
bible, it reminds me of the ignorant boys that found 
a watch in the road and tore out the works and 
looked in to find what made the noise. So during 
the twenty-seven years of my wandering, I looked 
into the machinery of the Creator and saw the 



THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 219 

works. The greatest objections I found with the 
bible is that it does not come up with his greatness, 
as it has been interpreted and preached by the 
clergy. 

The first thing we notice in studying the works of 
the Creator is that everything is arranged on some 
great plan of order and harmony, order reigning 
universally and with mathematical precision. In 
our solar system, the sun, moon, earth and all 
the planets are the ^ame in their operation today 
as they were yesterday and the same yesterday as 
they were twenty or forty centuries ago. It is the 
same in the mineral, vegetable and animal king- 
doms of the earth — the storms on land and sea, the 
peals of thunder and lightning and the physical 
changes, the growth of vegetation and their mode 
of reproduction, the existence of animals and the 
union of male and female in begetting their young 
— all this is the same today as yesterday and the 
same yesterday as it was ages ago, everything ac- 
cording to some great unchangeable plan of order 
and harmony. Under these conditions, how else 
can such stories as the miraculous birth of Jesus 
Christ and his resurrection from the dead, Jonah 
in the belly of the whale, and the ascension in- 
to heaven of Elijah in a chariot of fire, be regard- 
ed by reasonable people and the thinking genera- 
tions of the future only as similar stories in ancient 
mythology? What sensible person could believe it, 



220 THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 

were it to be preached by some sect to have occurred 
today or yesterday? How then believe that it oc- 
curred in the past when the same laws of the Cre- 
ator were in operation then as now ? No, to struggle 
against the overwhelming force of science and truth 
in shielding mythological narratives under the 
notion of doing good is all in vain. Some may 
think that the current church doctrine has stood 
too long to fail; but it is a mistake, as other idola- 
trous religions had stood much longer and their peo- 
ple bowed to their gods more reverently and de- 
pended on them in fighting their battles with more 
sincerity than have ever our people on the Trinity. 
It is just a matter of time till it must give way to 
the force of science. Let this be ten years or a 
thousand years. 

The trouble in the Churches doing good in the 
future with success is that it is too much dead 
weight to carry. It will pull them down and they 
will perish the same as have other forms of idolatry 
that existed. The most I can make of the Christian 
religion of today is that it was taken from the 
Jews, and so to say, run into the ground. Instead 
doing the deeds of goodness and kindness as taught 
by the Jesus of Nazareth they have changed it into 
a "man worship/' worshiping the man instead of 
paying so much attention to the principles he taught 
and for which he was cruelly murdered or cruci- 
fied. 



THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 221 

Why, I have noticed them at worship where they 
would devote their time in mourning and praying 
to him as much as did ever the heathen to their 
idols; when, in hearing distance there were poor 
people sick who- not only needed some one to give 
them attention at the time but lacked sufficient 
bread to make them happy, thus neglecting to do 
the very things that he had taught. But what else 
could be expected of a religion not based upon es- 
tablished laws but on mere traditions. There are 
some wonderful truths and good teachings in the 
bible but they are so besmirched and emburdened 
with fiction and superstition that it seems hard to 
follow them. 

There is Christ's teaching; it is all right and in 
harmony with nature, but it has been so befogged 
with mythological stories and superstition that if I 
take the bible as a whole I could not teach it con- 
scientiously nor do so with any success. 

I have many times thought of the scripture where 
it admonishes not to take from or add to. This 
seems to have been done, else has never been trans- 
lated right and the compilers of superstitious minds, 
or became changed originally in way of tradition, for 
it positively conforms not with the workings of the 
true God of the heavens. But judging, even, from 
occurrences in our own day, what else but a change 
from the original can be expected when transmitted 
orally from one to another, say nothing about being 



222 THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 

transmitted from father to son for ages. Let this 
be as it may, it seems that the Jews for all the many 
safeguards by which their devotion to the one and 
supreme being was protected in their religious sys- 
tem, from the first were continually seduced into 
following false gods and idolatrous forms of wor- 
ship. 

The clergy generally of today, I find, use the bible 
as a whole with all its fiction and superstition as 
a basis for uprightness and morality as they cannot 
conceive of anything else that would serve as a 
guide. With me it is just to the reverse. I see 
that man can not do wrong and commit crime with- 
out corroding the intellect and degenerating him- 
self. This, then, made the bases, similar to other 
sciences, is the only reliable and true basis. Why, 
man can not do a single immoral or unrighteous act 
but what it mars his human excellence. 

Nothing now could appear more ridiculous to me 
than to have mere tradition or mythological narra- 
tives for a guide. For, this belongs to the dark 
ages and ignorance when people could do no better, 
as it is merely a hope to some end without any cer- 
tainty. Besides it is a dangerous basis, as it leads 
to false perceptions. It is too tangible. It is like 
a ship without a rudder. We must have a basis 
that is law and in which we are certain. In our 
business transactions we would not think for a 
minute to depend upon the like of this for cor- 



THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 223 

rect results, never think of depending upon a hope 
to an end without any certainty; but we have es- 
tablished principles that are lasting and always the 
same and in which we are certain we can depend 
upon for results and in which we can all agree. 

It is the same in astronomy, physics, chemistry, 
surveying and navigation — in all these, people 
would not think of depending upon hope for re- 
sults, they have established principles for bases, not 
contrary to the Creator's laws, and in which they 
can agree and are certain in obtaining correct re- 
sults. 

Why then depend on traditions and mythological 
narratives for a basis upon which people can not 
agree, for purity, human excellence and happiness 
both in this world and the world to come? No, it 
is a farce. It is a practice that the corrupt priest- 
hood had fabricated and cherished in the past to 
confuse and mislead the laity for tribute, and which 
has been continued in some form to this day. 

It was in this respect that I wandered about for 
a time without a moral or religious standard. The 
Protestant or Catholic bibles as preached were no 
more a persuasion to me against crime and im- 
morality than the one of Mohammed, and the one 
of Mohammed no more than that of a picture al- 
manac. But gradually I began to see that there 
was a true God in Israel, and that his glory and 
magnificence was science itself. And I find that 



224 THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 

there are others going astray the same way by the 
thousand. 

Again, the danger in not having a logical basis 
in religious matters the same as in all other things 
is that the liberty loving people, the people who be- 
lieve in worshiping according to the dictates of their 
own conscience, will be so divided aganst them- 
selves that their opponents in consolidating might 
overwhelm them. There is the Roman Catholic 
church whose education of her people is for them 
to yield the right of private judgment in religion 
and accept dictation from the priesthood, which is 
a power growing and ready to take advantage of the 
Protestants in their division, hypocrisy and corrup- 
tion. I say division, because there are several hun- 
dred different denominations more or less arrayed 
against one another, and as they have merely tra- 
ditions for a basis they can not agree. I say hypoc- 
risy because there is beginning to be a large ele- 
ment in the churches that believe not their doctrine 
themselves and are hypocritical as their actions 
show. And I say corruption, because the hypocrites 
and outsiders not having a standard of uprightness 
and religious duties in which they can agree, or any 
reason for such, are straying away into corruption 
and indifference, which in all ages has been a men- 
ace to civilization. 

As long as the Catholic church yields the right 
of private judgment in religion and accepts die- 



THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 225 

tations from the priest, they need no other standard 
for agreement and unity of power ; but the protest- 
ants having deviated from that form of orthodoxy 
and the people using their own judgment in these 
matters, they must have a standard that is reason- 
able and philosophical in the way I speak, so that 
they can not only agree and be in unity, but will be 
factors in augmenting strength. 

Yes, a standard of religion in harmony with the 
laws of the true God of creation, setting apart in a 
scientific way that unrighteous acts and crime cause 
a degeneration of man, is a reality and is what we 
need. It is the propensities belonging to the brute 
animals that are cultivated in committing crime, and 
those forces peculiar to man and that distinguishes 
him from the brutes or the benevolent and intellec- 
tual forces remain not only dormant to that extent, 
but are distracted, and he sinks to a lower scale of 
human excellence. And not to exercise these facul- 
ties has the same effect as not exercising the muscles 
themselves; they will gradually perish. A science 
of this kind setting apart the consequences that fol- 
low the violation of the Creator's laws, that whatso- 
ever one sows that shall he also reap, and taught to 
a child as it grows up, I see no reason why it should 
not abide by them the same as it should not keep 
from putting its hand in the fire after knowing the 
consequence of the violation of such a law. 

I wish now I would have my scriptural writing I 



226 THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 

had compiled, modeled on this style, which became 
misplaced and lost in my rounds. I would strike out 
the miracles, and instead of posing as a Moses, I 
would present it as a mere science, written by a hum- 
ble citizen for the benefit of humanity. It may be 
inferred from the introduction that at one time and 
before I came altogether to my senses, I entertained 
ideas of this kind. And I might say that had I re- 
mained in this notion, I probably never would have 
returned home nor made myself known to my people, 
not even conducted myself in a way that would have 
given my brother any clew, and given him an oc- 
casion to write to me as he did. I would not have 
been known as the Carpenter's son but my identifi- 
cation positively would have been obliterated. It 
seems however, that while this was my notion, it 
was my intention to pose as such only for a time and 
then make myself known and use it to make an im- 
pression to prove the absurdity of these things. 

Though with reference to a scriptural science, 
merely the Golden Rule "do unto others as you 
would wish them to do unto you/' is a safe guide. 
This applied conscientiously will lead one happily 
through this life and land him safely in the home be- 
yond. For, I see that this is a chemical world and 
that we are chemical beings. I see that mythology 
and superstitions have no more to do with the real- 
ities of the world to come than they have with the 
realities of this world. When we come to die, it 



THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 227 

is the forces within us that will count and not the 
whims, ceremonies and hurrahs that we might go 
through with in this life. So to say, whenever the 
Creator puts us into a crucible for a test, that alone 
will tell the story of our past lives ; and if the forces 
developed within us are in his likeness we are fitted 
to live in the home he has prepared for us, but if the 
forces are after the likeness of the brute animals 
what else can we expect but that we will be prepared 
to abide with those only of their kind. But let this 
be as it may, if we live right the soul will take care 
of itself. 

It is in this respect that so many of the churches 
are mistaken with reference to Christ's teaching. 

Christ said : "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto 
one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done 
it unto me." 

Beyond the great plan of order reigning supreme- 
ly, the Creator's laws, we have no need to bother. 
All with which we have to do .are the laws of this 
world that affects our being. The mere belonging 
to church positively has in itself no saving power; 
one not belonging, if good, stands equal chances, as 
it is the enobling qualities and nothing else upon 
which it depends. I say this because I know of. what I 
am talking. Ot course, appropriate organizations are 
essential to the promotion of these virtues and en- 
obling qualities or the good which the churches are 
apparently striving to accomplish, and one whether 



228 THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 

he belongs or not should shield them in their en- 
deavors. 

With reference to our unmistakable duty towards 
the Creator, to our Father in Heaven, may be in- 
ferred by comparing the duty of mere children to 
the father in this world. What would a reasonable 
father think of his children, after setting apart their 
work to perform, if they would daily supplicate be- 
fore him with ceremonies and outcries, and even ne- 
glect the work set apart for them? Would not the 
father look upon them with indifference and disap- 
proval? Why then should we not expect the s^me 
thing of our All wise Creator, our Father in Heaven, 
towards his children on earth ? Yes, I think that all 
our Heavenly Father requires of us is the same as a 
reasonable father in this world should require of his 
children towards him and themselves. 

And I think so much devotion to ceremonies and 
needless expenses of which most of the churches are 
guilty, are all uncalled for. I know, for instance, 
my conscience would be clearer to give my wine and 
bread offering money to some needy people. Though, 
I could not oppose them, or any institution that up- 
holds and encourages morality and good manners, 
if they are conscientious in so doing, and give me the 
same right to my views as they claim for themselves. 
And if there are some people they can make better 
by going on in their way I oppose it not. I was al- 
ways careful not to have anything to say or do 



THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER ' 229 

against the orthodox religion or the Bible as a whole, 
because I said a man to do so was foolish unless he 
had something better to offer in its place. So that in 
my estimation a standard of religion based upon 
scientific principles in the way I speak, is something 
not only better but the inevitable as man rises in 
civilization and to more comprehensive conception 
of these things. 

Nor does this standard lessen the burden or widen 
the path to human excellence and happiness. In the 
old way it seems a man could do nearly anyway and 
then make acknowledgments and through "the blood 
of Christ," as they say, be cleansed. Under the stan- 
dard of which I speak, man must do right at all 
times and teach his children the evils and conse- 
quences of its violation. It is Christianity of the 
Bible rid of its superstition, mythology and imposi- 
tion. 

And so diverted from moral rectitude and set in 
vice many persons have been in childhood through 
the negligence of the training by parents of their 
children or in way of inheritance that, although they 
may argue temperance and rectitude, they themselves 
may not be able to forbear. But with reference to 
such teaching when the truth is said, is like a science 
in mathematics — if the principles are applied the 
correct results are obtained, no matter what the char- 
acter or reputation as a man the author had been. 

Neither am I opposed to appropriate prayers or a 



230 THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 

manifestation of reverence towards our Creator 
from whom all blessings flow. But as far as I am 
concerned, I am thankful at all times ; and, the Crea- 
tor being allwise, he knows it without making a fa- 
natic out of myself and make myself and others mis- 
erable in this world. If any thing, this is a sin; for 
the Creator being allwise, his dignity is above the re- 
quirement of the like of this. And, though inspira- 
tions and blessings to some extent may emanate 
directly from Him through such prayers, it is not 
probable that we could cause his set laws to change 
materially in our behalf. At least, I think in most 
respects it would suit Him better for us to have a 
little judgment of our own and use the reason He 
has given us and go ahead and do right without 
bothering him too much. 

And in saying grace at the table, I see nothing im- 
proper. I have even thought that it serves as a token 
of order in a refined family of people. And ob- 
servance of a day of rest, Sunday, or the Sabbath, 
as you may call it, in reverence to the Creator for 
his greatness and wonderful work$ is all right. 
Even set apart by law the same as for the com- 
memoration of other events, I see not out of place. 
Besides, it is essential to our well being, physi- 
cally and mentally to have such a day of rest and for 
reflection. 

And, to which I alluded, the great good that the 
churches apparently are striving to accomplish, I 
oppose not — it is the mythology and superstition 



THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 231 

and the phariscism, fanaticism and other corruption 
I oppose. 

Why ! it is with reluctance that I say it, but I can- 
not withstand, I have been with long-haired and 
cussing cowboys that showed and practiced a greater 
degree of genuine Christianity than members of some 
churches I have noticed. Instead of making fun of 
the poorly-dressed and treated with unconcern, I 
have noticed that they would give them aid and 
sympathize with them. Then I have not forgotten 
the experiments I made in my rounds by picking out 
ideal members of certain churches and approaching 
them as an unfortunate. It is in this respect that I 
denounce them as not believing their own doctrine 
as they show it by their actions. Neither have I for- 
gotten the corruption at the head of some religious 
institutions of which I could not approve. 

"Yonder is an institution they call a nunnery," I 
said one day to a partner, "they are needing facto- 
tums, I notice, suppose we get us a job, and through 
some scheme explore it." 

"There are nuns, and there are priests," I thought. 
"Why! are they not of the same emotions and pas- 
sions as other people that they should not marry?" 
I continued to think. "I will grope my way into the 
recesses and investigate this matter." 

It was after a time through this chicanery that I 
theorized the maneuvers and saw the good and the 
evil as it was. 

No, nor would it profit a man to oppose the good 



2Z2 THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 

in anything ! For I have learned that good doing is 
power while wrong doing is demoralization and de- 
cay. If a neighbor makes a practice to build himself 
up at the expense of others he will fall, for it is all a 
matter of law. A thief, a robber, a falsefier in his 
course develops those propensities peculiar to brute 
animals and destroys those powers that elevated him 
as a man, and he is likely to go beyond his abilities 
of control when he goes from bad to worse. His 
business and social qualities decay ; he is not himself, 
and he falls to that extent ; he reaps what he sows. 

And I see it is the same with a plutocracy in gov- 
ernmental affairs as with an individual. The con- 
troling class of rich men that buy off conventions 
and bribe legislators to enrich themselves at the ex- 
pense of other classes, are merely laying snares to en- 
trap themselves, and unless they change, miseries 
will fall upon them and their accomplices. Should 
they escape it in this world it will fall upon their pos- 
terity. The plutocracy will then have all to lose, the 
persecuted all to gain, corruption will reign supreme, 
and the end must come. This is the law of the God 
of the heavens, and we might as well oppose the ex- 
istence of thunder and lightning or the overwhelm- 
ing power of an earthquake as to try to oppose it. 

And I think that if a man of this kind who has 
used his efforts and money in procuring such unjust 
legislation and through this and monopolistic means 
becomes wealthy and then does charitable acts to- 



THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 233 

ward the poor it is a mockery, and avails nothing as 
it is through this corrupt legislation that the masses 
become poor. But a man who becomes wealthy 
through square dealing and good management, I 
think is to be honored ; and if he then does charitable 
acts, he is a benefactor. 

Let us then all profit by our past experiences and 
the history of other nations and avoid the misfor- 
tunes and miseries that will befall us unless we do 
right. 

But I must stop. Some of my neighbors are 
talking strange things of me; it is well to give an 
address and explain more before my books are is- 
sued. Yes, I will do this; and then let the address 
suffice as a conclusion to the sketch of my history. 

I will have the subject of my address, "That 
Which Haunted Me." 

One thing of which I have not yet spoken is the 
idea of an adversary or devil. It seems that the ori- 
ginal Hebrew scriptures was void of these notions. 
In Leviticus the word "devil" the translators took 
from the Hebrew word Seirim, meaning hairy ones. 
History shows that the idea of demonism, now in 
the bible, was materially developed during and after 
the Babylonish captivity by Medo-Persian influences. 
All we can make of this from a philosophical stand- 
point is that in our cosmos there are two principles 
striving for the mastery — an active and a passive, 
which we could consistently style God and Devil — 
on the one side a building up and on the other an 
attempt at tearing down. 



234 THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 

ADDRESS TO HIS NEIGHBORS AND FRIENDS. 
subject: THAT WHICH HAUNTED ME. 

Neighbors and Friends: Many years ago, and 
while yet in my youth, I stood before an audience 
in this, my native town before. 

That time my lecture was on temperance. This 
time my address is of a different character. That 
time it was more to draw the minds of my friends 
from matters in which I was engaged while abroad. 
This time more as an explanation upon matters 
with which my mind was then absorbed, or as will 
very well express it, "that which haunted me." 

In the first place, whatever I will say, I wish it 
understood that I oppose not any thing in which 
there is any good. The great law of love as had 
been preached by the Jesus of Nazareth is indis- 
pensable to civilization and happiness. To help the 
afflicted and the needy, to do unto others as you 
would that they should do unto you — no teaching 
is grander that this. 

But while this is true, it is presented in a way 
by the clergy that does not harmonize with the 
progress of the world, and becomes less and less 
effectual in its purpose; and as a whole more and 
more repugnant. This is why I, as a citizen, take 
the stand I do. And I think that as we are all 
born equal, a good man or a gentleman will not 
only give me a right to my views, but would rather 



THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 235 

that I express them. And I also wish it to be un- 
derstood that while I may tear down certain doc- 
trines, I have something to give in its place. 

As far back as I can remember and as soon as 
I became old enough to have ideas of my own, I 
found that I could not see, particularly in religious 
matters, as others see, which created within me 
a spirit of restlessness. With this I was continu- 
ally haunted. By this I mean it clung to me and I 
could not get rid of it. When I began to divulge 
these ideas to others I found that I was rebuked. 
I was told by the preachers that I was dead in sin; 
that that is what was the matter with me, and that 
I was on the road to hell. This made me vicious 
and desperate. It drove me away from home out 
into the world. The reason, I think that I did not 
continue at that time in promulgating my ideas, 
was not only that I lacked experience to make my- 
self feel equal to the emergency, but lacked suffi- 
cient grit to express them. Even I tried for a time 
to avoid giving anything in my book that opposed 
orthodox religion and after my return home to re- 
sume ranching again in the west as a pursuance, 
and let the world and religion take care of itself. 
But the first thing I knew upon recruiting up and 
gaining my composure, the old spirit again re- 
vived; besides, I wasn't at home but a few days 
till I was informed that my house and everything 
in the west was burned down and all I had left was 



236 THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 

a dreary waste of land, which also had a tendency 
to discourage me in that direction. 

Now, my ambition is to do what I can in a rea- 
sonable way, from time to time, to express my con- 
victions. 

I will first review my investigations in this line 
before leaving home. 

In reading ancient literature at that time I found 
that every nation originally had its peculiar creed 
or form of religious worship of some kind. 

The ancient Egyptians, I found, had their diver- 
sity of gods, and personifications of the elements, 
passions, senses, and feelings were introduced. 
Their gods were divided into several orders. The 
first contained eight gods; the second twelve; and 
the third an unknown number. The eight gods of 
the first order were Amen, Mentu, Atum, Shu, 
Seb, Osiris, Set, Horus, and Sebak, according to 
the Theban version. The other orders in like man- 
ner had their gods. Some of these gods they had 
self-existent, others the sons of gods and some 
born of a mother only. I had found that the Baby- 
lonians had, at the head of their system of reli- 
gion, Baal, who represented, in a general way, the 
power of nature; and along with him stood the 
goddess Baaltis, as feminine complement, with 
whose worship all manner of licentious rites were 
associated. 

I read of the gods of the Celtic nations; three 



THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 237 

cf the chief ones having been Teutates, Hesus, and 
Taranis, all of which were worshiped with human 
sacrifices. I had found that the religion of the 
American Indians was a universal belief in a Su- 
preme Being, with his attributes associated with 
various manifestations of natural phenomena, and 
that they believed in the immortality of the soul 
and a future existence. 

I found that the Scandinavians had their Eddas ; 
the Persians their Zendavesta; the ancient China- 
men their Five Kings; the Hindoos their Vedas; 
and then the Buddhists their Try Pitikes, the Mo- 
hammedans their Koran, and the savages of Africa 
a form of worship called feticism.. 

I had found that the ancient Romans had their 
gods, which appeared in sets and fell rationally 
into rank and file, each with a distinct mission of 
its own. There was Jupiter, Juno and Minerva of 
the first rank; and there were the supreme deities 
of the Infernal Regions, Orcus, Dis and his wife, 
the queen of the empire of the Shadows, Libitina. 
Then, there was Neptune who presided over the 
element of the water; Vulcan presided over that of 
fire. In like manner there were other gods, who 
were vested, as it were, with authorities over 
special departments, even the stars having had 
their representatives. Amid this system of gods, 
the people humbled in submissive worship. They 
had their votive offerings, their prayers, vows, sac- 



238 THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 

rifices, libations, purifications, banquets, lays and 
songs. Their sacred places consisted of mere hal- 
lowed spots on hills and in groves or special build- 
ings dedicated to a special deity. 

I had found that ancient Greece had its plastic 
worship of nature, with its visible objects and its 
invisible powers; of abstract notions, sensations, 
propensities, and actions; of tutelary Numina, or 
household or family gods; and of exalted men or 
heroes, some of whom deified after death, and 
others sprung from the embrace of gods and the 
beautiful daughters of men— a system, while com- 
posed of widely discordant elements, yet a unity, 
and harmonious and consistent in its minutest 
parts. Of their gods, twelve were national, who 
together with a vast male and female retinue 
dwelt on the heights of Mt. Olympus around its 
highest peak. 

Then, of course, I read about the Pentateuch of 
the Hebrews, and traced them from Mesopotamia 
into Palestine, thence to Egypt, and, after a period 
of bondage, back again to Palestine, which country 
they reconquered. I read of their division to that 
of the Israelites and that extraordinary people — 
the Jews. Then after the Babylonian captivity and 
return of the Jews to rebuild Jerusalem, I read of 
them becoming animated with an intense feeling of 
nationality, and guided by Ezra, began to exhibit 
wonderful reverence for the Pentateuch and the 



THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 239 

Prophets, and to make expositions and additions 
thereto. 

After all this, I then noticed that there was a 
similarity existing between most of the creeds of 
the different nations, and one nation patterning 
and borrowing from another to improve that of 
their own. 

In the history of Egypt, the foreign deities, Bar, 
Baal, Ashtaroth, Ken, Reseph and others, became 
engrafted into their religious system. Among the 
Assyrians, Babylonians, Phoenicians, Carthage- 
nians, and other nations, there was constantly more 
or less importation from one another and ingraft- 
ing into their own system what, in their estimation, 
was an improvement over that of the old. 

Ancient Greece took her religious parapherna- 
lia from other nations and shaped it to suit her 
own civilization in those times. It was the same 
with Rome. 

I noticed that the angelology and demonology, 
wholly foreign to the older Hebrew religion, was 
derived in all its essential characteristics from the 
system of Zoroaster, with which the Jews had be- 
come familiar by their long and close intercourse 
with the Persian empire during the exile and sub- 
sequently. Then I noticed that these scriptures 
which come down to us as that of the Jews betrays 
the presence of religious conceptions borrowed 
from other nations than that of the Persians, such 



2 4 o THE M YSTERIO US TRA VELER 






as from Greek wisdom, Roman law, Arabic phi- 
losophy, and even from modern science. Again, 
there is no mistake but what Mohammed in his 
scriptural writing drew from the catholic bible 
of his time. 

I next found that from all these religious sys- 
tems and scriptural writings of the past, the out- 
come was seven bibles of modern times, which are 
as follows: 

The Koran of the Mohammedans, The Eddas 
of the Scandinavians, the Try Pitikes of the Budd- 
hists, the Five Kings of the Chinese, the Three 
Vedas of the Hindoos, the Zendavesta of the Per- 
sians, and our own Bible, which came down to us 
from the Jews. 

These bibles date back in the order I have named 
them; the Zendavesta of Zoroaster and the Penta- 
teuch of Moses having had their origin nearly the 
same time — Moses lived and wrote his Pentateuch 
about the fifteenth century B. C, and Zoroaster 
his Zendavesta about the twelfth century B. C. 

All these bibles have an analogous aim — to ac- 
count for the origin of all things and to explain 
the nature and human relations of that something 
divine, which it is an instinct of the human mind to 
conceive as actuating and controlling all that 
moves. 

I then noticed that as the different nations rose 
in civilization and to more comprehensive concep- 



THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 241 

tions, from time to time, they in like manner gave 
way to higher and more reasonable forms of wor- 
ship. And I believe I can say conscientiously, con- 
sidering everything, that the bible we now have is 
the most superior of them all and the best, inas- 
much that it is most observant in teaching the great 
law of love instead of "an eye for an eye and a 
tooth for a tooth." But, while I say this, I do 
not say that it is in a state of perfection by any 
means. How could I think this when I know the 
source from whence it came and of the corrupt 
hands through which it passed. 

As far as the nationality of people from whom it 
originated is concerned, I can't see that that is of 
so very much import. But from what I can gather, 
to which I alluded, I believe that only a compara- 
tively scanty portion of the original Hebrew litera- 
ture, on account of having undergone alterations 
during the lapse of ages, has come down to us to 
the present day. For instance, just a slight read- 
ing of the sacred Parsee books (the name given 
to the religious writing reformed by Zoroaster), 
will show in a variety of points the direct influence 
they have had upon the Semitic or Hebrew creeds. 
Of course, the Jewish priests of medieval times, 
may have contended that the copying was from 
them and not from the Parsee scriptures. But it 
is left for us to pass on this ourselves. As for me, 
I am obliged to take into consideration the charac- 



242 THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 

teristics of the Jewish people as I find them. Where 
is there a people that is more artistic and ready in 
their dealings to trick others out of their posses- 
sions than the Jews? Is it then not as probable 
that they might have copied from the Parsee 
books as the other fellows from them, and even 
more so ? 

But let it be as it may, I look upon this scriptural 
writing, which I called the best, and which came 
down to us against its mighty opposition, and 
whose progress can be traced back nearly four 
thousand years, merely as a survival of the fittest. 

But I said, how could I think this scriptural 
writing to be in a state of perfection, although 
the best, when I knew the source from whence it 
came and of the corrupt hands through which it 
passed. 

In the first place, in whatever state of perfection 
the old testament had been before the last Baby- 
lonian captivity, where untold myriads of Jews 
were massacred and their buildings and literature 
put to flames, and thousands of people that were 
not massacred were captured and distributed 
among the Roman provinces and butchered in am- 
phitheaters, and others sold to slavery in Egypt; 
afterwards,when the remnant returned to Palestine 
to again nationalize themselves, they had to rewrite 
their bible or made a recension of other existing 
copies if there were any left. Now whether this 



THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 243 

rewritten scripture is any thing like the original 
or how much had been added is a matter incap- 
able of demonstration or refutation. And what 
I want to impress on your mind is the chances that 
prevailed against the Scriptures remaining in a 
state of perfection and not having been corrupted. 

Later on, there was a time when the people had 
not the means and facilities of printing as we have 
had in modern times, when there were only a few 
scrolls in existence, which were in the hands of the 
corrupt priesthood of the time, when again it was 
left to their mercy to add to or change if it chanced 
to be their fancy. 

Neverthless, there might have been recourse for 
comparison by the critic to a scanty portion that 
had been engraved on stone or metal, and possibly 
to certain hieroglyphics; though it would be well 
not to press the latter too much, otherwise it might 
lead to the Egyptian hieroglyphics and be a reflec- 
tion on Moses (Philo, vita Moysis). 

Then, the time elapsing between the old and new 
testament was a period of mystified traditions and 
writings. Much of this series of writings was al- 
together absurd and impious. Out of these writ- 
ings the New Testament was compiled. There were 
fourteen of these collections or books, collectively 
known as the Apocrypha, that were never admitted 
into the New Testament by the Protestants. 

What I wish to impress is the manner in which 



244 THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 

the New Testament was gotten up — simply a selec- 
tion from a great amount of this kind of writing 
which was done mostly during the first three cen- 
turies of the Christian era. 

During this period much discussion took place 
and different opinions prevailed about the nature 
of Christ — who he was. 

There was Theodotus and Artemon who openly 
taught at the close of the second century that Christ 
was merely a Jewish teacher of distinction. While 
there was Arias, Sabellius and others who carried 
out the same tendency in the opposite direction, 
making out Christ more or less as that of a God. 
Within the church the outcome of these controver- 
sies were three great parties — the Athanasions 
Eusebions and the Arions. The Athanasions and 
the Arions held the extremes on the question while 
the Eusebions held the middle. To settle this con- 
troversy, in the year 325, Constantine, the Roman 
emperor, summoned a council consisting of repre- 
sentatives of these three parties. At length the 
council came to an agreement in which they de- 
clared that Christ was of like and the same sub- 
stance with God, and upholding his miraculous 
birth, resurrection from the dead, etc. At a later 
council at Constantinople, the additional tenet of 
the divinity of the spirit was added, which made 
it about the same as they have it now, the Father, 



THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 245 

the Son and the Holy Ghost in one, known as the 
Trinity. 

It is to be understood, here, that Constantine not 
only presided over the council of these three parties 
whereby these matters were settled, but was still 
a pagan or heathen ; and that his motive at the time 
for taking this position was for political and other 
reasons, his empire having become turbulent and 
unstable. It was a year before this that he mur- 
dered his own accomplished son Crispus, along 
with others on a charge of treason. 

Now, what I wish to impress is the corrupt men 
through whose care this literature of the old and 
new testaments had passed and the corrupt influ- 
ence which was made to bear on it in shaping and 
molding it to what it has been made. Referring 
to the council of Nice where Constantine presided, 
what was more natural than for him, who had be- 
lieved in the ancient pagan gods with all their 
mythical sons, to throw his influence to the hot- 
headed and superstitious extremists of these par- 
ties and retain in their declaration the heathen idea 
of "sons of gods" and other superstitious practices. 
At the time, in Rome and Greece, that their gods 
had sons and that they came down unto beautiful 
and spotless daughters of men, was a prevailing 
idea. This idea can be traced back through all the 
heathen nations where they had sons of gods by 
the scores — back to the gods of Egypt. 



a 4 6 THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 

Under these conditions, I say, what should be 
more natural than for the council of Nice, with 
the heathen emperor Constantine presiding over 
them, to ingraft into their creed the "son of god" 
idea and other superstitious and prevailing dogmas 
of the times. 

Then again, it seems that in the makeup of their 
Trinity at the council of Nice they patterned after 
another well known heathen idea of the time — that 
of the Trimurti or Trinity of the Vedas, of which 
spoken. What was more natural than that they 
should do this — put such as the Father, Son, and 
Holy Spirit in one Godhead, like Brahma, Vishnu, 
and Siva existed in one Triad in the Vedas. 

Yea! all I can make of the religion of the wor- 
shipers in our country today is that they took the 
idea of one supreme being from the Jews and com- 
bined it with the son of god idea of the heathens 
and together with the tenet of the divinity of the 
spirit, named it the Trinity ; and to this conglom- 
erated mess they bow and worship, and to it they 
have dedicated the thousands of temples (churches) 
all over the land. 

It is with reluctance that I differ so widely from 
that of my religious friends, but I notice that there 
are so many people that begin to see the fallacy 
and absurdity of this Trinity and this form of wor- 
ship, and, not having any reliable standard for up- 
rightness and integrity or any reason for such, they 



THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 247 

are in a state to do anything for their selfish bene- 
fits — men among us steal, rob, and swindle; men 
of great minds steal railroads when they can, buy 
off conventions, bribe legislators and manipulate 
the channels of commerce and form trusts and mo- 
nopolies whereby to enrich themselves with colossal 
fortunes at the expense and detriment of their fel- 
low men. Knowing this, I see that we must have 
a new standard — a standard with the true and liv- 
ing God at ifs head, a standard not in conflict with 
His works, and that is capable of being philoso- 
phized, and one that will show to such men the 
consequence of their actions and the miseries and 
calamities that are awaiting them or their kindred 
of future generations. 

With reference to philosophizing a standard, I 
don't know but what the standard of the ancient 
heathens was more philosophical than that of the 
Trinity of the people of today. Now let us see. 
As I understand, in the dark ages, the more intelli- 
gent among the people conceived the idea of a 
great supreme being or gods ruling the universe, 
and in order to enable the more ignorant people, as 
most of them were, to understand what they meant, 
they made images called idols, to better impress it 
on their minds, and in this way instituted a sys- 
tem of worship. Now, I pray, what was there 
wrong in this; had they not drifted into corrupt 
and superstitious practices? Was it not philosophi- 



248 THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 

cal enough? But what is there philosophical about 
a god coming down, and, contrary to all law and 
nature, cause an innocent woman among us to con- 
ceive, and the combination with the other tenets 
that form this Trinity? 

Even the doctrine of Mohammedanism is more 
reasonable and philosophical than this, inasmuch 
as it is based on the two articles of belief that God 
is God and that Mohammed is God's prophet. 

When I attended school yet, I used to read in 
my school books about the seven wonders of the 
world — the pyramids of Egypt, the hanging gar- 
dens of Babylon, the mausoleum of Halicarnassus, 
the lighthouse of Pharos, the Colossus of Rhodes, 
the statue of Jupiter, and the temple of Diana — 
but the eighth and greatest wonder of them all with 
me was how an intelligent set of clergy at this age 
of civilization and inventions could have the auda- 
city to preach such absurdities and how an intelli- 
gent and well educated people could believe it. 

Now, my friends, all these were my investiga- 
tions and thoughts while in my youth and yet 
among you before leaving home. 

Nevertheless, through my experience out in the 
world, I found that there were wonderful truths in 
our scriptures, especially that which came down to 
us as the teachings of Christ. But as a whole, it 
reminded me of all the sciences and literature of 
different nations and of different ages garbled 



THE M YSTERIO US TRA VELER 24 9 

together with an attempt at harmony. For in- 
stance, suppose that of all our literature — the many 
histories, treatises on mathematics, astronomy, 
mental and moral science, and so on — different 
passages and verses were selected and put into one 
book, what success at harmony could we expect? 
I must frankly say that it is this way with the bible. 
Why, the very results of the people using it as a 
standard shows it to be that way. What else would 
cause so many divisions and so many hundred dif- 
ferent churches, all more or less arrayed against 
one another? 

Even Chrysostom, who in the 4th century named 
the Bible, instead of attempting, by forced and ar- 
tificial hypothesis, to reconcile what he thought ir- 
reconcilable in scriptural statements, admitted the 
existence of contradictions, and shaped his theory 
of inspiration accordingly. Indeed, from differ- 
ences of style and manner in its several parts, we 
may suppose it to be the work of different hands, 
extending over a considerable period of time, there- 
by causing these contradictions and imperfections. 

But I have a different way to determine to what 
extent our Bible is in a state of perfection and 
what is true and what is untrue. During the many 
years of my wandering about, I crawled about the 
Creator's machinery and looked in and saw it as 
it is. I have experienced that His laws and works 
are of great order and harmony and always exe- 



250 THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 

cuted with mathematical precision, both celestial 
and terrestial, and that human actions are in like 
manner a matter of law. I will explain in a short 
way what I mean. 

All the solar systems, with our own, with all 
their orbs, rotate upon their axes and perform their 
revolutions with the same regularity and exactness, 
and never vary from their natural order of opera- 
tion. One orb does not exchange its function for 
the function of another orb, nor that of one 
constellation for that of another. The sun does 
not make its appearance in the east one morning 
and the moon in its place upon another; but every 
thing is performed according to definite and fixed 
laws of order and harmony. 

Again, in chemistry, the law governing the com- 
bination of two or more substances to form an- 
other, which was discovered ages ago, is the same 
today as it was then. For instance, the ancient in- 
ventors of glass, hundreds of years before Christ, 
are said to have been merchants, who, laden with 
natron or soda, placed their cooking pots on lumps 
on the sand, which sand and soda fused by the heat 
of the fire and formed glass. Today, this law gov- 
erning the formation of glass is the same as when 
it was first discovered. In the vegetable kingdom, 
as far back as botanical knowledge extends, the law 
of fecundation — the pollen of flowers fecundating 
the stigma — is always the same and never varies 



THE M YSTERIO US TRA VELER 2 5 1 

from its fixed and established law of order. It is 
the same with the similar law of reproduction in 
the animal kingdom, traceable back to prehistoric 
man — always according to its fixed and established 
law of order. 

Now, my object in speaking of these established 
laws of order and harmony of our Creator is to set 
apart one and the same rule to apply to all scrip- 
tural writing alike, whereby to determine the truths 
from that which are myths. 

It is common for the adherents to mythical nar- 
ratives in the different scriptural writings to try to 
justify their position by saying any thing is pos- 
sible with God. But in this there is no logic nor 
consistency and enables the rankest of the super- 
stitious to uphold themselves in their beliefs; and 
it is an absurdity simply too gross for this age of 
civilization. It belongs to an age with persons of 
little, narrow-contracted brains who cannot com- 
prehend outside their immediate sphere, with which 
they became in contact by birth or chance. Would 
we admit of such a basis for a creed, then we would 
have no right to dispute the authenticity of all the 
past mythical events and all the legendary tales 
of all heathendom, some of which are still believed 
to be true. But to place all alike to a test before 
the works and laws of what we know is the true and 
living God, is consistent, fair and just. 

We will first take up the Seven Sleepers, which, 



2 5 2 THE M YSTERIO US TRA VELER 

having been prevalent in the East, was accepted 
by Mohammed, the writer of the bible called the 
Koran, who now has a greater following than even 
Christ. He calls them Ashab-al-Kahf, the men of 
the cave. 

These seven sleepers are said to have been seven 
Christian youths of Ephesus, who, to escape the 
rage of Decius, fell asleep in a cave and slept 196 
years before they woke up, when they were aroused 
by an inhabitant of Ephesus looking for shelter 
for his cattle. Now, I ask, do you believe this 
story ? Can you believe that seven youths of Ephe- 
sus slept 196 years and then woke up and walked 
about and were the same as before they fell asleep ? 
I do not. Followers of Mohammed may say every- 
thing is possible with God and for that reason they 
believe it, but that does not make me believe it. I do 
not believe it because it is out of the natural order 
of things of the Creator's works. Why, to bring 
about conditions to make this possible, the Creator 
would be obliged to put out of gear his great plan 
of order and harmony, of which I have spoken. 
Literally, he would be obliged to create, not only a 
new world, but a new universe to make it possible. 
And no one could make me believe that the Creator 
would put out of gear His great plan of order and 
harmony, nor create a new world or universe, and 
then change it back to its original plan of order and 
harmony merely for the purpose of enabling seven 



THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 253 

youths to sleep 196 years to escape the rage of 
Decius way back yonder in the little village of 
Ephesus. 

Now, it is to be understood that I am giving my 
own convictions on these things, that is all; and 
as far as your belief about it is concerned, that is a 
matter of your own. I am not going to paw up 
the earth if you don't believe as I do and call you 
hard names, for it is not my nature to do so, nor 
do I belong to that kind of a tribe. 

Next, I will speak of the well known Greek myth 
of Prometheus, which was received as a fact of 
early traditions by the Greeks. Here Prometheus 
was to have formed men of clay, to whom he gave 
the breath of life by means of fire taken from 
heaven. I don't believe this, although the followers 
of Prometheus might have said, "anything is pos- 
sible by the help of God." I don't believe it accord- 
ing to the same rule, because to bring about condi- 
tions to make it possible, the Creator would have 
been obliged to put out of gear His great plan of 
order and harmony, or literally create a new uni- 
verse. And no one could make me believe that the 
Creator would put out of gear His great plan of 
order and harmony or create a new universe and 
then change it back to its original plan of order 
and harmony merely to satisfy Prometheus and the 
ignorant Titans from among whom he came. For 
similar reasons I don't believe the story of beau- 



254 THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 

tiful daughters of men having conceived through 
the gods from heaven and starting new races of 
people, which used to be believed by the people of 
the same nations. But I have said enough in ex- 
plaining to make myself plain in this line. I will 
now take up similar stories from our Bible and see 
what about them. 

What about Elijah going to Heaven in a chariot 
of fire; Jonah living for a time in the belly of the 
whale; and Jesus of Nazareth having been the son 
or offspring of the Virgin Mary and the God of 
Heaven, and afterwards resurrected from the dead 
and in a short time ascending to Heaven, body and 
all. 

Why should I believe this? Because it so hap- 
pened to be prevalent notions among the nationality 
of people where I was born, and engrafted into 
their system of worship? Nay, was I merely gov- 
erned by this, then had I chanced to have been born 
among the Mohammedans, I would have been a 
Mohammedan; had I chanced to have been born 
among the Buddhists, I would have been a Budd- 
hist; or had I chanced to have been born among 
any other nationality of people, I would have been 
and believed as they. No, I don't believe it, be- 
cause when I put it to the same rule as before, it 
won't stand the test. 

To bring about conditions to make these things 
possible, the Creator would have been obliged to 



THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 255 

put out of gear His great plan of order and har- 
mony or literally create a new universe. And I 
don't believe th^t the Creator would put out of 
gear His great plan of order and harmony or 
created a new universe and then changed it back 
again to its original order and harmony merely to 
have enabled Jonah to live in the whale's belly, to 
have enabled Elijah to go to heaven in a chariot 
of fire, and to have enabled the Virgin Mary and 
the God of Heaven to have offspring, and the child, 
when grown, to die, become resurrected from the 
dead and after a while ascend to heaven, body and 
all. 

No, all there is about it, we have been living as 
yet, in superstitious ages, and these things have been 
the outcome. The great law of love, recensed and 
preached by the Jesus of Nazareth was and is all 
right, and indispensable to civilization; but it has 
been besmirched by the ignorance and supersti- 
tions of the people. Even history itself, to which I 
alluded, shows it is that way ; you can read between 
the lines of the original sayings of Jesus that it 
was that way; and even the Jews themselves, his 
own nationality of people say it was. 

The great trouble with so many, with reference 
to a system of religion, is that they become per- 
plexed in looking to a higher power, some wanting 
to be guided by a mere feeling in their hearts, 
others by some awe-stricken fear of the Almighty, 



256 THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 

and others by a supernatural something they don't 
know what. I lay this to the prejudices of the 
people to the ideas of the age of ignorance. The 
savage mother of Africa throws her beloved in- 
fant into the river to the crocodile, because she is 
governed by an impulse of feeling, and, as a peni- 
tence, to appease the wrath of her god. The 
Taouist priests of the east chant prayers from their 
mystic ritual, amid the din of drums, gongs and 
flutes, to appease the evil spirit that they suppose 
afflicts the people. To this, and nothing else, is 
what mere impulses of the feeling has led. And in 
our own time and nation it leads to mere divisions 
of the people and fanaticism. 

As I said, what we must have at this age of civili- 
zation is a religious system with a philosophical 
basis. This is what the great law of love and jus- 
tice as a basis would be. And this is the form of 
religion I believe in — to obey the great law of love 
of the Creator and justice, or in other words, Chris- 
tianity rid of its superstitions, call it morality, spir- 
ituality or what you may. But it need not neces- 
sarily be made a mere system of morality any 
more than a religious system of worship with su- 
perstitious basis ; for if the conscience 6i people dic- 
tates to them to reverence the Creator and true 
and living God of Heaven and earth with prayers 
and supplications for his great plan of order and 
harmony and almighty power, it is their privilege 



THE M YSTERIO US TRA VELER 25 7 

and pleasure to do so. Though it is not this that 
would save them, or have any saving ordinance; 
but instead obeying the great law of love and 
justice. An observance of the two well known 
scriptural aphorisms: "Do unto others as you 
would that they should do unto you ;" and "What- 
soever a man soweth that shall he also reap," will 
quite answer entirely. The latter is only too true, 
both in this world and to fit man for the world to 
come. 

It is not my purpose in this address to set apart 
a complete system of religion in all its details but 
only so far as to explain material parts wherein I 
differ from the current system, and which pertains 
to influences in bringing about my past actions. 
From what I have already said may be known I 
want a system that is conformable to God's works 
and laws as they exist, and which can be system- 
atized into a science the same as all other sciences, 
since science is nothing but a knowledge of the 
phenomena of the Creator's works and laws. Then 
there will be unity and harmony among the people 
with respect to religion to that extent, the same as 
in all the other sciences. In short, we want a moral 
(or spiritual, if you prefer the term) philosophy, 
setting apart such truths as "Whatsoever one sow- 
eth that shall he also reap" in a scientific form, enu- 
merating all the details, and which should be taught 
in all the schools the same as other sciences. For 



258 THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 

instance, I very well know that a pursuance of per- 
petrating crime corrodes the intellect and is de- 
generating to man. I see that it is the propensities 
belonging to the brute animals that are cultivated 
in man in committing crime and that it disquali- 
fies him for legitimate business and the enjoyment 
of society to that extent. A thief, a robber, or 
swindler in his career develops those propensities 
peculiar to brute animals and destroys those powers 
that elevate him as a man to that extent. If he 
develops bad qualities, he reaps the consequences; 
he reaps what he sows. Such practices and their 
consequences put into a scientific form is what I 
mean we should have, and taught in our land the 
same as other sciences. So, also, comprise as a 
science, of which spoken, "Do unto others as you 
would that they should do unto you," in all its de- 
tails; such as the propriety and benefits in doing 
charity, being sociable, etc. 

I am fully aware of the fact that to change the 
system of worship and customs of today will be 
slow and attended with much resistance, because it 
is so riveted in the minds of the people, and it has 
become such a widespread and extensive profes- 
sion of the preachers and they are so deeply preju- 
diced to these religious practices. But I can plainly 
see that it is just a matter of time when it must 
give way to the overwhelming power of science 
and reason, and then will be looked on by future 



THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 259 

generations as the people now look upon other su- 
perstitious systems that once existed. 

Then, some of those who see the fallacy of the 
Trinity and other superstitious customs based on 
the bible, will be prejudiced towards them as they 
wish not, as they think, to take from the sacred 
writings. But it is an error of judgment; for this 
has been the case from the outset. Why, at first 
there was enough Hebrew literature together with 
the Jewish thought and learning buried in the Tal- 
mudic writings, to make a half dozen such bibles, 
which was all knocked out except what now re- 
mains in our bible. Then again, just the other day, 
I took up and opened what is known as the Ameri- 
can Revised Edition of the bible and the first verse 
I read I noticed the word "adultery" was left out, 
which is in the Authorized Version; and in a fol- 
lowing verse the words "parties and factions" I 
noticed were added. I found such changes made 
all through the book. This being the case, why be 
prejudiced towards spurious portions which we 
know now exist in the book. 

Nevertheless, it is not my wish to break up the 
churches, even if I could, nor to start new ones; 
but what I would like to see is the preachers to ex- 
pound the wonderful mechanism of the true and 
living God and the consequences that follow the 
violation of His laws, and change the class rooms 
to council rooms for appointing committees to hunt 



260 THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 

up the afflicted and needy, and devise means to ad- 
minister to their wants. Now, having given my 
religious views which I said had haunted me in 
my youth, I will speak again of its bearing upon 
me in causing me to leave home and remaining 
away as I did. 

I will here present you some lecture tickets which 
I had printed and used in my lectures before leav- 
ing home, whose superscription shows the drift of 
my mind at the time. The superscription is this: 
"Chemical Temperance Lecture! Voluntas Obli- 
gata Moraliter Pro Voluntas Libera.' ' By chemi- 
cal temperance lecture, I meant to imply a discourse 
advocating that the laws of our Creator were a 
oneness and all our actions were of a chemical na- 
ture, and that all we do was a matter of law and 
order; and, by the latin phrase I meant, at the 
time, what the phrase implies. And I will say that 
we must not be too sure about these things, for at 
one time the people thought that it was the sun that 
moved across over us in the day, when afterwards it 
was found to be an apparent motion. But after 
more experience, I found that let it be as it may, 
we were under obligation to do right if we prosper, 
and that if we did not reap the consequence so 
much ourselves in this life, it would tell in some 
form on our posterity. 

Some of these tickets I had left at my father's 
house before leaving home, and a boxfull of which 



THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 261 

I again found with my sister Amanda upon my re- 
turn home, which she had kept as souvenirs of 
her missing brother. 

Just what bearing these things had on my past 
actions, I leave to my history and your judgment 
on it. But I can say that before leaving, I was as 
much disgusted with the Trinity and system of 
worship throughout the land as you would be, for 
example, with the twelve national gods of Greece 
with their sons hovering about the highest point 
of Mount Olympus, were you now set back in the 
midst of that nationality of people at the time. 

Of course, having been thrown into a circle of 
church-going and church-observing people in my 
youth made it worse than had it been different. 

It is true that upon my return home, I had the 
same embarrassments again to confront; and this 
is one reason that I have given my views on these 
things, and as a self defense. For the idea of going 
about as a fool and enduring these embarrassments, 
and looked upon as a heretic, when I knew that it 
was the other fellow that was the heretic, was more 
than I could stand. So I set forth my views, if for 
no other reason than that I can present them to my 
antagonists and give them to understand that I not 
only have a speck of sense myself, but that I have as 
much right to my views as they or any one else have 
to theirs. 

It is with reluctance, as I said, that I differ so 



262 THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER 

widely in my views from that of my religious 
friends; but I am sure it will not cause them 
the displeasure, restlessness and pain as the im- 
portunement of their faith and methods of salva- 
tion had caused me. And it may cause some to 
treat me with enmity, but if this is the degree 
they mark in the makeup of the scale of human- 
ity, I can make out without their friendship 
in the future as I have in the past. I am not posing 
as a saint, or as a Christian for that matter, though 
there is enough Christianity about me not to hold 
enmity against any one, and not only this but to be 
sociable with every one that will bear it, and to 
render them help and assistance if I can when 
needed. And any one that does not do this is no 
Christian, for Christianity is a manifestation of 
love towards neighbors and never that of enmity 
and persecution. 

Though, I think this is even a matter of hu- 
manity, say nothing about Christianity. Some may 
be too sensitive many times when apparently they 
are slighted or damaged by neighbors; but this 
should not be, as it may not be intentional. And 
even if it is intentional, I look upon those as a 
lacking of the forces that distinguishes man from 
mere brute animals, or as we do upon those afflicted 
with lunacy or some other mind-defect — my sym- 
pathy for them does not vanish. 

Nevertheless, protestants should not show enmity 



THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER a 6 3 

towards me as I favor religious freedom the same 
as they did in the days of Catholicism and as they 
should now, and as I am merely a protestant of 
protestants. And with reference to the so-styled 
orthodox religions, I believe in their toleration as 
long as it does not interfere with our body politic 
and free institutions; but any form of fanaticism or 
Catholicism that endangers free speech and liberty, 
I consider nothing more than a form of deviltry and 
should be suppressed. 

In conclusion, I will thank you for your mani- 
festation of welcome you have shown me upon my 
return home; and I wish you and all humanity, 
good-will, peace, prosperity and happiness. 

THE END. 



This paragraph will appear at bottom of page 71 in 
following editions: 

An incident, indicative of hardships in those times, and 
novel in character, I will also relate, which occurred at a 
time when I cared not to come in contact with the public 
any more than T could help. 

As I went along, at the approach of darkness, I came . 
to a strip of woodland with some underbrush and a few 
scattering brushpiles flattened at the top as with age. 

"I can sleep here unobserved and contentedly," I said, 
as I crawled upon one, using my coat for a pillow. 

It was w r arm weather, and I preferred to sleep here f 
elevated from the ground, on account ot the heavy dews 
and dampness of the ground. As I awoke in the morning, 
and rubbing my eyes, what else should I see but a snake 
with its head sticking up through the brush, lapping its 
tongue out at me only a few feet away. 

"What," I said, as I tore away, "am I doomed to take 
lodging in dens with reptiles!" 

Such is one of many incidents that proves congenial 
only to a man who loves a life of adventure, and to whom 
the solution of difficult problems brings a sense of satis- 
faction, not to be weighed in dollars and cents, which re- 
pays him for weeks of hardship, privation and effort under 
tremendous disadvantages. 

Through mistake the following paragraph, after the 
first paragraph on page 259, was omitted, which will be 
corrected in the following edition: 

I had spoken about contradictions in the Bible. So, I 
will here speak of on*-* of the greatest import, inasmuch 
that the Jesus of Nazareth is involved. It has been said 
that his coming was prophesied in the Old Testament. 
Probably it was, but it is to be noticed that these passages 
of scripture allude. to the seed of Abraham. Then in the 



NOV 861906 



first chapter of St. Matthew, in the Xew Testament, the 
genealogy is traced from Abraham down to Joseph. But 
here is the contradiction. It says that Christ was born of 
the Virgin Mary of the Holy Ghost, and was the Son of 
God. Well, if he was the Son of God, and not the son of 
Joseph, the prophesies in the Old Testament have not been 
fulfilled in this respect. So this corroborates again my 
statement that the "Son of God" idea was a heathen idea, 
and was grafted into the Christian religion in the time of 
Constantine. 

This paragraph will appear at b ottom of page 49 in 
following editions: 

An anecdote, unique in character happening in. my 
youth, I will also here relate. 

Upon a trip to Eureka Springs, Arkansas, after entering 
the caves in the Ozark Mts. and seeing the eyeless fish in 
the subterranean streams, the manager of the caves took 
me aside to a curiosity department, and amid many things 
hitherto strange to me, he exhibited a large diamond rattle- 
shake, which he took in his arms and fondled with it as 
with a toy. He explained to me that after it was captured 
alive and wild in the mountains, he had a dentist pull out 
its fangs and remove the poison glands, and that afterwards 
it was entirely harmless. Being convinced of this, I 
thought it a novelty to take it with me to perform pranks 
at my convenience, which I did after buying it. One time 
I carried it out and placed it in the grass unobserved, and 
then called the neighbors to see the reptile. Coming with 
clubs and rocks to kill it, 1 ran in and took up the snake in 
my arms and entwined It about my neck, when they looked 
upon me with the greatest consternation and called me the 
snake-charmer. 



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